Published: June 4, 2026 at 11:07 am
Jemimah Rodrigues had helped Team India script a historic comeback in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, starting with a must-win game against New Zealand to lift the trophy. The Women in Blue now set their sights on lifting India’s first ever ICC Women’s T20 World Cup to be held later this month in England.
Speaking on JioStar’s ‘Unstoppable’, Jemimah Rodrigues touched upon coming back to the side for the New Zealand game in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025. “I wasn’t sure if I would even make the playing XI for the New Zealand match. My bat had let me down in the previous games. I wasn’t contributing to the team’s cause. The frustration was building up inside. So, I took my kit bag, walked into the nets, and started hitting every ball as hard as I could. No technique, no thinking. Just anger. By noon, I broke down and started crying. I went to my room. Arundhati Reddy was there. She called me in. I cried and told her I was feeling low, heartbroken, and disappointed with myself. My form was gone, and I didn’t know how to get it back. Arundhati suggested I visit the church. Something inside me agreed. So, I went. The next morning, I woke up, and in all these 45 days, this was the first time ever I was happy, truly happy and not faking it,” Jemimah said.
I have never been more nervous: Jemimah
On being anxious walking in to bat in a must-win game, the Mumbai lass said: “I walked in after Smriti got out in a must-win game against New Zealand, and I have never been more nervous in my life. The first 10 balls, I was numb. I didn’t know how I would get through. But I told myself, ‘Jemi, just get past these 10 balls, and you’ll be fine.’ So, my plan was simple, play compact, don’t do anything fancy, and just survive the early jitters. Pratika was already set at the other end. So, I let her continue her innings. I played proper cricketing shots when the ball was in my zone. My only thought was, ‘Do it for the team.’ After that New Zealand game, everything fell into place. I scored 76 not out of about 55 balls. That knock was special. I know everyone talks about my hundred in the semifinal against Australia. But that New Zealand match was like a quarterfinal for us. And for me, that 76 not out meant a lot more than the 127 in the semifinal.”
Jemimah Rodrigues and Smriti Mandhana
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur spoke about the team’s decision to give a break to Jemimah Rodrigues. “If we hadn’t given a break to Jemimah after the league match against Australia, things might have gone wrong. She didn’t have a great start to the ODI World Cup with the bat. The runs weren’t coming. Her confidence was dropping. You could see it in her body language. So, we decided to give her a three or four-day break. We kept her out of the England game. But it wasn’t about dropping her or giving someone else a chance. It was purely about Jemimah, giving her the right rest at the right time. Sometimes a break is more valuable than training. She was always in our plans. When we faced New Zealand, Jemimah was always going to be our key player. We trusted her to come back fresh, and she repaid the trust we had shown in her with a crucial knock of 76 runs,” Kaur said.
Mandhana reflects on her poor start
Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana reflected on her poor start to the tournament and finally crossing the three-figure mark. “I came into the World Cup in good touch. I had scored hundreds in the ODI series against Australia. But once the World Cup started, runs dried up in the first three games. I couldn’t contribute to the team’s success. I knew a big knock was around the corner. I scored 80 against Australia in Vizag. It felt like it was meant to come in a must-win game to qualify for the semi-finals. That game turned out to be the New Zealand one, and in that match, I finally got the hundred I was looking for, along with a crucial partnership with Pratika Rawal,” she said.
Former New Zealand captain Sophie Devine hailed the brilliant opening partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal. “You can have all the plans in the world, but sometimes batters are just too good on the day. That day in Navi Mumbai, Smriti and Pratika were outstanding. Their 212-run opening stand left us with no answers. It didn’t matter what we bowled or what field we set. They kept finding the gaps, rotating the strike, and putting us under pressure. That partnership was the turning point. It pushed India one step closer to the semifinals,” she said.
