We believe our time is now – Jemimah Rodrigues

On March 15 last year, silence spoke in the Delhi Capitals' dressing room after a third successive loss in the Women's Premier League final.

"The memory is still fresh," Jemimah Rodrigues admits. "Everyone was really sad. Nobody spoke much. The silence spoke a lot that day. It still hurts."

Coach Jonathan Batty and captain Meg Lanning stepped up to lift the team. "They said, 'We are incredibly proud. These are some of the best humans and finest cricketers. One day doesn't define us. Things will change.'"

Lanning’s parting message—"the sun will rise again"—will now be realized without her. With retention limits, Delhi Capitals moved on from the captain who led them to three consecutive finals. The reins have been handed to the 25-year-old Rodrigues, tasked with guiding WPL’s most consistent team to its first title.

She will be the youngest and least experienced captain in the competition this season. She plans to lean on lessons from Lanning.

"Meg has been one of the greatest captains I've ever played under," Rodrigues said. "What she's done for DC has been phenomenal. I couldn't ask for a better person to learn from. Last year, I picked her brains on captaincy—how she got the role young, how she dealt with it, and what’s important."

Recalling a tight win against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rodrigues noticed Lanning’s calm demeanor. "I asked her, 'Weren’t you nervous?' She said, 'Jemi, I was nervous. But as a captain, if I panic, my team panics. If I stay calm, my team stays calm.'"

Rodrigues admires that approach, contrasting it with Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s more emotional style. She aims to develop her own unique captaincy style.

On other Indian captains, she said: "Harmanpreet di is aggressive. She leads from the front, especially on the big stage. From Smriti Mandhana, I’ve learned how to stay calm. She’s very tactical, plans well, and understands her bowlers. That relationship is crucial."

Rodrigues hopes to remain true to herself as a leader, using her own lows to guide teammates.

"The last three years had ups and downs. They prepared me for who I am now. I don’t like failures, but without those low moments, I wouldn’t have learned. Failure isn’t failure when you learn from it—it’s a win. Those close losses in World Cups gave me courage. If you asked if I’d change anything, I wouldn’t. Everything shaped me.

"Sometimes, as leaders, we need to go through tough times so players can relate. It makes a difference when you talk to them. I’ve always looked out for others."

Despite not winning the WPL yet, Rodrigues believes Delhi Capitals have been the best side over three years and is confident about taking the final step.

"We’ve been the best team in the tournament. Things didn’t go well in the finals, but time changes. Things fall into place. We saw it with the Indian women’s team—people called us chokers, but things changed. We just kept working hard and believing. That’s what DC has done. We believe our time is now."