Delhi Capitals are set for a captaincy change before the start of the 2026 edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL). This change was inevitable after the release of Australian veteran Meg Lanning who had captained in the previous three seasons. DC do have another captaincy option in South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt but an Indian captain seems to be the priority of the franchise.
While an official announcement is awaited, it should be out by Tuesday (December 23) evening. Rodrigues is fresh off a spectacular Women's ODI World Cup that India went onto win. The Mumbai batter played a critical role in India's world record chase in the semifinal against Australia and was in superb form in two prior critical games as well.
Wolvaardt, arguably among the best batters in women's cricket currently, is a fab addition to the DC squad and will be a backup captaincy option if and when the need arises. However, co-owner Parth Jindal had expressed his preference for an Indian captain during the WPL 2026 auction itself, midway through that day (November 27).
"We are very clear we want an Indian as captain. We have our minds made up," Jindal had said during the auctions.
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Rodrigues was the first player DC retained, showcasing her value to the franchise and she was also the first Indian player they bid for in the first-ever WPL auction back in 2023. Rodrigues is yet to miss a game for DC and is a key figure as the team looks to build towards the future.
DC did want to get back Lanning into the mix but once that plan failed, Rodrigues' promotiomn was inevitable. Perhaps, it would have happened anyway, considering that Lanning doesn't captain her WBBL side either, instead preferring to play under Annabel Sutherland's leadership. Interestingly, Sutherland also plays for DC and could be Rodrigues' deputy, if Wolvaardt doesn't get that role.