BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - AUGUST 07: Jemimah Rodrigues of Team India drops a catch to dismiss Jess Jonassen of Team Australia during the Cricket T20 - Gold Medal match between Team Australia and Team India on day ten of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at Edgbaston on August 07, 2022 on the Birmingham, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
The Melbourne Stars' WBBL side have pulled off one of the coups of the year, signing Indian international Jemimah Rodrigues from the Melbourne Renegades for WBBL|08.
Rodrigues was a pivotal piece in the Renegades' past campaign, scoring 333 runs from 13 matches as the Melbourne franchise amassed a second-placed finish.
The 22-year-old top-order batter combined with fellow Indian import Harmanpreet Kaur to be among the league's best overseas signings, with Rodrigues' departure now a major blow for the Renegades.
In swapping red for green, Rodrigues will ply her trade for her now-former club's arch-rivals in the Stars, a move the rising star stated her excitement about.
"I am super excited to be a part of the Stars family. I've been told that I'm the first ever Indian to sign for the Stars and it is my honour to do so," she said in a club statement.
"Melbourne has always been my favourite city in Australia and I can't wait to get back there."
Rodrigues will feature for India in the upcoming Asia Women's Cup before landing down under for the Stars, who will begin their campaign against the Brisbane Heat at Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay on Saturday, October 15.
Joining the likes of Meg Lanning and Annabel Sutherland for WBBL|08, Rodrigues' arrival is sure to buoy the Stars after their disappointing Big Bash campaign last year.