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So far, so good for India at the T20 World Cup. Two wins, a healthy net run-rate, and key players already in form, it's been the perfect start. Smriti Mandhana has led with the bat, Deepti Sharma has been deadly with the ball, and Richa Ghosh, along with Sree Charani, have played their supporting roles beautifully.

But beneath the smiles, there's a quiet concern: Jemimah Rodrigues, India's No.3, is yet to fire.

She looked sharp with a brisk 19 against the Netherlands, but it was her scratchy knock against Pakistan that raised eyebrows. Walking in early after Shafali's dismissal, Rodrigues never found her rhythm. The Pakistani bowlers kept things tight on a slow pitch, and she nearly ran herself out early on. Her struggles ended in the fourth over when she top-edged a wild heave straight to cover, leaving India wobbling at 18/2.

That's not the Rodrigues India know. Since 2023, she's been one of the most reliable No.3 batters in world cricket, 511 runs in 33 innings against spin alone, averaging nearly 32 at a strike rate above 118. Only a handful of players have scored more in that position.

She's watchful in the powerplay but accelerates beautifully in the middle overs, striking at 124 once the field spreads. At her death, her strike rate jumps to nearly 157, proof of her finishing chops.

And yet, against South Africa on Sunday, she faces her toughest test yet. In five T20Is against them earlier this year, she managed just 82 runs and fell to spin three times, twice to Nonkululeko Mlaba and Chloe Tryon, the very duo she'll face again at Old Trafford.

India has tried eight different batters at No.3 since 2023. Rodrigues alone has made 857 of the 1,429 runs in that spot. making it unmistakably hers. But with Richa Ghosh often forced to launch from ball one to rescue the innings, a solid knock from Rodrigues would ease that burden and allow Ghosh to play her natural finishing game.

"I think it's just a shift in mindset," Rodrigues told Jiostar. "In T20s, you have to take calculated risks. It's about being smart and putting bowlers under pressure. That's my approach."

Sunday isn't just another group game. For Rodrigues, it's a chance to remind everyone why India has backed her through all the experiments. A big innings here wouldn't just boost the scoreboard; it could define the rest of India's campaign.