India’s cricketing celebrations in 2025 have a poignant undertone thanks to one of its brightest stars, Jemimah Rodrigues. Her heroics on the pitch this year tell only half the tale, the real story is one of personal adversity, family strength, and the power of faith. For the first time, Jemimah has revealed the toll a traumatic year took on her and those closest to her, sharing how the scars of trolling and false allegations eventually fueled her rise to the pinnacle of world cricket.
The tide of criticism began rolling in after India’s women’s team failed to qualify for the semifinals of the 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Dubai. Despite wins over Pakistan and Sri Lanka, a defeat to Australia saw India crash out early, and the fallout soon touched Jemimah’s personal life.
Not only did she grapple with disappointment over her own below par performance, but a storm of scrutiny swept upon her family as well. Allegations were made against her father, Ivan Rodrigues, accusing him of using Mumbai’s Khar Gymkhana for religious conversation activities. This controversy led to the revocation of their club membership and widespread trolling of the Rodrigues family.
In an emotional interview with India Today, Jemimah opened up about the pain, “I remember when that happened. It was one thing for me to face it, but when my parents were dragged into it for something we didn’t do, it really hurt. Everything we did at that time was according to the rules and regulations, and we had proof of that. But the allegations made against me and my family really affected us deeply because we had done nothing wrong,” she said.
What set this period apart from the usual struggles athletes face was the deeply personal nature of the attack. Talking about those days, Jemimah recounts, “That happened right after the World Cup in Dubai, where we hadn’t done well. I personally hadn’t performed my expectations and was already feeling low. Then suddenly, I started seeing news, messages, and people saying terrible things about me and worse about my family and my church. That broke me.
“I remember my brother calling me, and I just started crying. I didn’t know what to do. It felt like one blow after another, first my performance, and then a false allegation about my family,” she admitted. The scrutiny wasn’t just about her sporting fate, but about the reputation and dignity of those she loved.
Since, Jemimah and her family’s belief in faith has grown stronger. “As a family, we sat together and said, this is not our battle to fight. We knew our intentions were right, and we knew we hadn’t done anything wrong. God is our witness. So, we decided to stay silent, not to prove anything or fight back. We chose to forgive those who hurt us because that’s what Jesus taught us, to forgive even those who wrong us,” she revealed. This approach shaped her mindset for the year to come.
2025 proved to be the turnaround Jemimah desperately needed. After a tough start in the ODI World Cup ducks against Sri Lanka and South Africa and after being dropped out of playing XI in the match against England she rediscovered her spark with a half century against New Zealand.
Her crowning moment came in the semifinal against Australia, where she played a stunning match winning knock of 127* runs that helped India seal a spot in the ODI World Cup finals after 8 years. These performances showcased not only her technical skill, but more importantly, her mental fortitude and growth through adversity.
“Honestly, I’ve seen how God turned it all around. Exactly a year later came that New Zealand semifinal knock and India winning the World Cup. Around the same time last year, we were in pain, but this year, God lifted us up and gave us double honour for every bit of shame we went through,” Jemimah said.
After the World Cup victory, one that ended in tears of joy, Jemimah flew straight to Australia to join the Brisbane Heat for the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) 11. Her story isn’t just a testament to cricketing excellence; it’s also a lesson in resilience, humility, and the belief that light can emerge from the darkest moments.
As Jemimah said, her journey from heartbreak to triumph was God’s way of lifting her family from hardship. For every shame endured, they received double honour on the field and in their hearts.
(Quotes sourced from India Today)
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