Jemimah Rodrigues has been appointed as the new captain of Delhi Capitals (DC) for the upcoming fourth season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), replacing Meg Lanning, who led the team to three consecutive finals. Rodrigues’ appointment marks a fresh chapter for the team, as she steps into the leadership role ahead of the 2026 season. This move comes after Lanning, despite her remarkable achievements, was not retained by the franchise for the upcoming season.
Jemimah Rodrigues’ Rise to Captaincy
Rodrigues has been a key player for DC since the inaugural WPL season in 2023. As the vice-captain last year, she emerged as a natural candidate for the captaincy. The 2026 WPL auction saw DC retain Rodrigues along with four other core players: Marizanne Kapp, Shafali Verma, Annabel Sutherland, and Niki Prasad. The decision to make her captain was hinted at earlier by Parth Jindal, co-owner of DC, during a press conference. Jindal had emphasized DC’s preference for an Indian captain, stating, “We are very clear that we would like to have an Indian as the captain.”
Rodrigues’ experience with the franchise and her consistency on the field made her a solid choice for leading DC in the upcoming season.
DC’s New Leader in a Crucial Season
Jemimah Rodrigues has been central to Delhi Capitals’ success in the WPL, having played all 27 matches for the team so far. She has accumulated 507 runs with a solid average of 28.16, and her highest score stands at 69. She is currently the third-highest run-scorer for DC, trailing behind Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma. Not only has Rodrigues contributed with the bat, but she has also excelled as a finisher in high-pressure situations.
Rodrigues’ recent performances for India have also been outstanding. In 2025, she scored the third-most runs for India in both ODIs and T20Is, with 771 and 177 runs respectively. Her crowning achievement came in the 2025 ODI World Cup, where her match-winning 127* against Australia in the semi-final helped India secure a place in the final. India went on to beat South Africa to claim their maiden ODI World Cup title.
With DC’s WPL 2026 campaign set to begin on January 10, 2026, against Mumbai Indians, the team is looking to make history after topping the group stage in each of the first three seasons. Although they have reached the final three times, the elusive WPL title has so far remained out of reach. Under Rodrigues’ leadership, Delhi Capitals will be hoping to go all the way and secure their first-ever WPL trophy.
