Indian batter Jemimah Rodrigues is set to make her return to the Women&rsquo;s Big Bash League (WBBL) for a second consecutive season after being retained by the Brisbane Heat in the first round of the WBBL International Player Draft held on Thursday.
The Melbourne Stars had initially attempted to draft Rodrigues with their third pick, but Brisbane Heat exercised their retention rights to bring her back into their squad.
"Indian superstar Jemimah Rodrigues will return to the Weber Women&rsquo;s Big Bash League for the second season in a row as she strives to lift the Brisbane Heat to the title this summer," the franchise said in an official statement.
The 24-year-old had a strong showing in the previous season, scoring 267 runs at an impressive strike rate of 139.06, making her the second-highest run-scorer for the Heat. Her performance helped the team reach the WBBL final, where they ended as runners-up to the Melbourne Renegades.
Rodrigues shared her excitement in a message to fans: "I&rsquo;m super, super, super excited to be rejoining you all back in Brisbane."
Rodrigues recently hit a career-best ODI score of 123 against Sri Lanka and also played alongside Jess Jonassen, Brisbane Heat&rsquo;s captain, for the Delhi Capitals in the 2025 Women&rsquo;s Premier League (WPL) in India.
The Heat also picked West Indies allrounder Chinelle Henry in the third round. Henry made headlines with a blistering 18-ball fifty, equalling the record for the fastest half-century in the tournament and ending with a strike rate of 196.
South African allrounder Nadine de Klerk, who signed a multi-year deal last year, was also confirmed for WBBL 11.
The inclusion of Rodrigues and Henry takes the Heat squad to 11 players, with four more names to be announced following the T20 Spring Challenge.
Brisbane Heat WBBL 11 Squad (so far): Jess Jonassen, Nadine de Klerk (SA), Chinelle Henry (WI), Sianna Ginger, Lucy Hamilton, Nicola Hancock, Grace Harris, Charli Knott, Grace Parsons, Georgia Redmayne, Jemimah Rodrigues (India).
[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.]
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Brisbane Heat Retain Jemimah Rodrigues for WBBL Season 11

Indian star Jemimah Rodrigues returns to Brisbane Heat after a stellar 2023 WBBL campaign

Brisbane Heat Retain Jemimah Rodrigues for WBBL Season 11

Indian star Jemimah Rodrigues returns to Brisbane Heat after a stellar 2023 WBBL campaign

June 19, 2025 | 16:52 IST