Delhi Capitals have named Jemimah Rodrigues as their captain for the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026, rewarding the young star for her stellar performances at the Women’s World Cup. Rodrigues takes over from Meg Lanning, who had led the Capitals to runners-up finishes in the first three editions of the tournament.
Lanning, meanwhile, has joined UP Warriorz for Rs 1.90 crore, prompting the leadership change at the Capitals. On Monday, the franchise released a teaser video hinting at a special announcement, which was confirmed on Tuesday with Jemimah’s appointment as captain.
Earlier, Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal had suggested that an Indian player was likely to be made captain, despite having star batter Laura Wolvaardt in the squad. Wolvaardt recently guided South Africa to the World Cup final and finished as the tournament’s top run-scorer.
“It is an absolute honour to be named captain of the Delhi Capitals. I am deeply grateful to the owners and the support staff for placing their faith in me to lead this team,” Rodrigues said in a statement. “It has truly been a dream year for me and my family, winning the World Cup and now being entrusted with this wonderful opportunity at a franchise that has held a very special place in my heart since the very first season of the WPL.”
She added, “I have learned so much over the last three years and shared some of my best moments with the Delhi Capitals. This team is my family. While I will miss the players from our earlier campaigns, I am excited to create new memories with both familiar faces and new teammates. We have a strong group, and I can’t wait to get going as we aim for a successful season and finally cross that line that has eluded us in the last three years.”
Jemimah Shines in World Cup
Rodrigues’ World Cup journey had its challenges. She started with ducks against Sri Lanka and South Africa and was dropped for the match against England. Returning at No. 4, she sparked a remarkable turnaround, scoring a fluent 76 off 55 balls against New Zealand in Navi Mumbai, followed by a career-defining 127 in the semi-final against Australia. Her innings powered India to the highest successful run chase in Women’s ODIs and ended Australia’s 16-match unbeaten streak in World Cups. She finished the tournament with 292 runs at an average of 58.40, the highest among Indian batters.
Post-World Cup, Jemimah played for Brisbane Heat in the Women’s Big Bash League and continued her form in India, scoring 69 off 44 in India’s eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Visakhapatnam.
In the WPL so far, she has scored 507 runs in 27 matches at an average of 28.16 and a strike rate of 139.66, including three half-centuries, with a top score of 69 not out.
Delhi Capitals will begin their WPL 2026 campaign on January 10 against Harmanpreet Kaur-led Mumbai Indians at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
Delhi Capitals squad for WPL 2026:
Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Marizanne Kapp, Annabel Sutherland, Niki Prasad, Laura Wolvaardt, Chinelle Henry, Shree Charani, Sneh Rana, Lizelle Lee, Deeya Yadav, Taniyaa Bhatia, Mamatha Madiwala, Nandni Sharma, Lucy Hamilton, Minnu Mani