Jemimah Rodrigues scored 63 off 41 in the second T20I against England at Bristol on July 1.
Coming in after a wicket going down is arguably one of the most difficult batting positions in cricket. This is not just about the ball doing things that trouble. The innings of a batter at No.3 starts way before they walk out to bat. Sometimes, you’re out there to face the second ball of the match. Sometimes you’re still waiting to come out even after 20 overs. One would love the latter instance to occur frequently, but it is not as easy as it seems. And hence, Jemimah Rodrigues does make a strong case for the position.
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Rodrigues has got all the ingredients of a good No.3 batter, and India must use her at the spot. How many players can we name in the white-ball formats who have been extremely successful at No.3? Mithali Raj, Chloe Edwards, and Suzie Bates are among the notable names who have excelled at the position in Women’s ODI cricket. A batter coming in at No.3 needs to possess the skills of both an opener as well as a middle-order batter. This is what makes it very challenging. The No.3 can very quickly become an opener if a wicket falls off the first delivery of the game.
India last played a Women’s ODI on May 11, 2025, which was the Final of the Tri-series between India, Sri Lanka, and South Africa. The Women in Blue managed to win the match by 97 runs, lifting the trophy. Smriti Mandhana was adjudged the Player of the Match for her sublime 116. To add to that, Sneh Rana grabbed the Player of the Tournament award for her 15 wickets. The Indians managed to win three out of the four group stage games. As a result, they qualified for the Final alongside their Asian counterparts, Sri Lanka.
Harleen Deol has been making a good mark at No.3 for India in ODI cricket. She made her first appearance at No.3 in December 2024 and scored a ton in her fifth game against the West Indies. The 27-year-old has piled up 496 runs in 13 matches at an average of 41.33. She possesses a strike rate of 81.84, which is quite healthy for the 50-over format. On the other hand, Jemimah Rodrigues’ best batting position in ODI cricket has been No.5. The young sensation has managed to score 721 runs in 18 ODI innings with a ton and three fifties. To add to that, she averages 42.41 at No.5 and has added great value.
But here’s the catch. Harleen Deol has scored 58 fours and a six in her 13 innings batting at three. That’s 238 runs out of the 496 she’s scored. In simple words, Harleen Deol has scored almost 48% of her runs at No.3 in boundaries. On the other hand, Jemimah Rodrigues has managed 67 fours and three sixes in her 18 innings at five. In other words, the youngster has scored around 39% of runs in boundaries at No.5.
This data suggests that the Delhi Capitals star is far more efficient in rotating the strike than Deol, who is better in terms of boundary hitting percentages. Simply put, a team would prefer a batter with strike rotation skills at three, because the position requires the players to stabilise the innings as and when required. Moreover, someone like Harleen can be easily used at No.5. That is where her power-hitting skills can be on display, and she can add maximum value to the total.
It would be extremely foolish to apply the same logic to the shortest format of the game. The demands of the T20 circuit are so different from those of a 50-over game that players with complete success in ODIs can come across as beginners in T20s. The 20-over format is too fast. The game is won or lost in a matter of an over.
Before the ongoing England series, India last played a T20I in December 2024, against the West Indies. In T20I cricket, Jemimah Rodrigues has aced the game at No.3. In 65 appearances, she has managed 1,719 runs at an average of 31.25 with a highest score of 76. She has registered a 30+ score in three of the last six T20s in which she has batted at three. On the other hand, Harleen Deol has batted at three 11 times till now, managing 256 runs with one fifty.
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The data suggests that Jemimah Rodrigues can up the ante when it comes to scoring at a brisk rate. Moreover, in the most recent T20I against England, Rodrigues scored 63 off just 41 deliveries to help India get to a respectable total. Hence, India must persist with the 25-year-old at No.3 in the shortest format of the game as well.
Balance, stability, and composure are all you need from a No.3. And Rodrigues, time and again, has shown her ability with the bat in crucial moments for the team. With India heading into all-important ICC tournaments in the next few months, the team would want a lot of solidity. And the answer to all those questions might just lie in Jemimah Rodrigues at three.
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