WPL 2026: Jemimah Will Take Opportunity Of Leading DC With Both Hands, Says Marizanne Kapp

WPL 2026: Jemimah will take opportunity of leading DC with both hands, says Marizanne Kapp (Image Source: IANS)

South Africans Laura Wolvaardt: Veteran South African seam-bowling all-rounder Marizanne Kapp has thrown her full support behind the appointment of Jemimah Rodrigues as Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper for WPL 2026, adding that she had long identified the Indian batter as captaincy material.

With Meg Lanning, who led DC in the first three seasons, moving to become UP Warriorz skipper, Jemimah will take over as the side’s captain for the new season starting on January 9. "I'm not going to lie. Losing Meg as a captain is obviously a big thing. She's a very successful captain, not only for DC but in world cricket in general.

“But in saying that, I mentioned a couple of years ago, when they asked me who should be India's next captain, I actually said Jemimah. I feel like she's one of those players who can bring a team together, just with her personality and a caring factor due to the way she is. I feel like she's always been a leader,” Marizanne told reporters in a select virtual roundtable on Monday.

She also stated that highly experienced international campaigners will help Jemimah navigate the leadership journey. “Look, for a new captain, there will be challenges, but so it will be for any captain. Even if you are an experienced captain, there will always be challenges. I feel like Jemimah has a lot of senior players around her.

“We still have a lot of players here that have been here before. I mean, management is still the same. So she has a lot of support if she does struggle. But I believe Jemimah will take this opportunity with both hands and I think she'll be very successful," she added.

DC have endured the frustration of reaching three consecutive WPL finals without claiming the title. When asked about the repeated near-misses, Marizanne pointed to a combination of circumstances and subpar performances on the big day costing them title wins.

"I don't think it's a case of pressure. Every single game you go into, there's pressure to perform. I think we've done so well over the past three years. I feel like at some stages, it was just a bit of bad luck. I mean, that first season, I think we lost three wickets with full tosses that on any other day could have ended up being no balls. Then second year, it was probably the slowest wicket we played on.

"With us being more of a pace attack, it probably didn't suit our bowlers too much or our batters, to be honest. So I it's a mixed bag of bad luck and us not playing too well, and not having our best days in the finals. But I wouldn't say it's a case of not being able to cope with the pressure," she added.

The presence of fellow South Africans Laura Wolvaardt and Lizelle Lee has added more sheen to the DC contingent, said Marizanne. "It's been good to have some of the South Africans over especially. I was so excited for them to be in this environment. The DC environment has probably been the best I've ever played in any league. It's just a wonderful group of players and management."

"I was so excited for them to experience this as well. The way we are being treated in this team is just absolutely next level and looking forward to the season ahead. We also have people like Kingy (Alana King) and (Chinelle) Henry coming in and they are people we know quite well. Everyone's just getting along so well and seeming to fit in so easily," she said.

Marizanne spoke glowingly about the WPL's significance for women's cricket, drawing a direct link between the league and India's historic ODI World Cup victory. "I think people don't always understand how important these leagues are for women's cricket, especially the WPL.

“You saw now, India won their first cricket World Cup, the first in a very long time. So I think that already shows you what an impact it has had on not only women's cricket, but on Indian cricket as well."

The WPL has specifically enhanced Marizanne’s batting aggression, a necessity given her role in the batting order. "For me on a personal level, I feel like my game would have never grown the way it has if it wasn't for these leagues. I mean, even seeing some of these youngsters coming through the ranks, it's thanks to the leagues like WPL."

"Probably the aggressive nature within my batting. My role and where I come in, I don't always necessarily get as much time to bat. So it's almost like you have to make every ball count. My entry point within games has allowed me to just come in and be a bit more aggressive."

"So I feel like that's definitely an area of my game where I've improved and where the WPL has been so special to me. I think it's just the general pressures of playing in India and playing on these wickets. It's not always easy, especially with the ball."

The challenging Indian conditions have also fortified her mental resilience when coming out to bat. "So you are put under so much pressure because batters come after you as a bowler and it's not very easy to bowl here. It's just developing that almost grit to just stay within the fight and not give up. You almost have to accept that you're going to probably go for a bit of runs, but it's just staying in the fight and backing your ability."

Marizanne signed off by highlighting that fast bowlers have demonstrated their match-winning capabilities, despite difficult conditions on offer in all three WPL seasons. "Look, it's a challenge. I'm not going to lie. Everyone knows it's not easy bowling in India. But I think the past three years has actually showed you what an important role pace bowlers still play. I feel like, yes, your spinners are important."

The challenging Indian conditions have also fortified her mental resilience when coming out to bat. "So you are put under so much pressure because batters come after you as a bowler and it's not very easy to bowl here. It's just developing that almost grit to just stay within the fight and not give up. You almost have to accept that you're going to probably go for a bit of runs, but it's just staying in the fight and backing your ability."

" I feel like, again, playing in these leagues, especially in the WPL, where it's very tough to be a pace bowler, it just develops you as not only a cricketer, but as a person as well, because you have to have a bit of grit about you and a bit of fight, because it's definitely not easy bowling in these conditions."

Article Source: IANS