Jemimah Rodrigues struck an unbeaten 127 off 116 balls to steer India past Australia and into the Women's ODI World Cup final on Thursday, October 30, capping a remarkable personal journey from social media target to national hero in less than a year.
The 25-year-old’s match-winning knock at DY Patil Stadium came after months of intense online abuse over her Christian faith, anxiety battles that left her crying daily during the tournament, and the shock of being dropped mid-competition.
India chased down 339 with six wickets and nine balls to spare, eliminating the seven-time champions and setting up a Sunday final against South Africa. Both teams will be chasing their first World Cup title.
But the numbers only tell part of Rodrigues’s story.
“I was going through a lot of anxiety. I cried almost every day on this tour,” she said at the post-match presentation, her voice breaking. “But I want people to know, it’s okay to ask for help. I will be very vulnerable here, because I know if someone is watching, this might be going through the same thing. Nobody likes to talk about their weakness.”
That vulnerability marked a stark contrast to the vicious campaign she endured on social media last year. In October 2024, Mumbai’s Khar Gymkhana revoked her honorary membership after allegations surfaced that her father, Ivan, had organised approximately 35 religious gatherings at the club over 18 months through Brother Manuel Ministries, a Christian evangelical organisation.
Committee member Shiv Malhotra had told reporters that Ivan booked the club’s Presidential Hall at discounted rates using his daughter’s membership. “It’s shocking that such events were happening here,” he had said.
Club President Vivek Devnani had told The Indian Express that members voted unanimously to cancel her three-year honorary membership. Rodrigues had been the first Indian female cricketer to receive the honour when it was granted in 2023.
The decision unleashed a torrent of abuse online. Old videos surfaced, including one from a 2015 evangelical event showing her at a prayer meeting. Right-wing Hindu social media accounts accused her family of religious conversion activities. She faced sustained attacks simply for being open about her faith, regularly posting content from her church and Biblical quotations.
Journalist Rajdeep Sardesai addressed the hypocrisy after Thursday’s triumph. “Social media RW IT handles have hounded Jemimah and her family in the past for their religious faith. I hope some of them bury their faces in a hole tonight,” he wrote on X. “She is a proud daughter of India who has shone on the biggest stage.”
She faced professional setbacks as well. Rodrigues missed selection for the 2022 World Cup and was dropped again after India’s loss to England earlier in this tournament. Former England captain Nasser Hussain had predicted her rise seven years earlier. After giving the teenage Rodrigues throwdowns in the nets in 2018, he tweeted: “Remember the name... Jemimah Rodrigues... did some throw downs with her today... she’s going to be a star for India.”
“When you are dropped, you have a lot of doubts because I always want to contribute to the team. That really hit me,” she said on Thursday. “But sometimes all you need to do is just hang in there and things fall into place.”
Her childhood coach Prashant Shetty had spoken earlier about building her mental resilience. “She is a very flamboyant person, but she is also very emotional,” he had told PTI. “It’s easy to seek sympathy. It’s easiest to give excuses. But defining your character is the most difficult.”
During the chase, when her energy flagged and loose shots crept in, Rodrigues drew on her faith. “I was crouching down between overs, closing my eyes and praying, talking to God because I feel that I have a personal relationship with Him,” she said.
She credited teammates for keeping her afloat through the difficult period. “There was Arundhati who almost every day I’ve cried in front of. She checked on me every single day,” she said. “There was Smriti who helped me. Few of the net sessions, she was just standing there. Even yesterday she came. She just stood there, didn’t say much, but she just knows that her presence is important for me.”
At the press conference, still emotional, she quoted scripture. “The Bible says that ‘weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning’. Today joy came, but I am still weeping,” she said, drawing smiles despite her tears.
Her candour resonated beyond cricket. Dr Samara Afzal, a former Welsh cricketer, wrote: “She spoke so bravely about her mental health. So many athletes go through this but don’t talk about it. Real strength includes vulnerability.”
The innings drew immediate comparisons to Harmanpreet Kaur’s 171 against Australia in the 2017 World Cup semifinal, widely considered one of the greatest knocks in Indian cricket history. Rodrigues’s 127 now sits alongside it.
For Rodrigues, the achievement transcended personal glory. “I didn’t play for my 100. I didn’t play to prove a point at number three,” she said. “I just played to make sure India win. I wanted to see India win at the end and that was my only motivation.”
She got her wish. India will contest their third World Cup final on Sunday, with Rodrigues having already answered her critics and cemented her place in cricket folklore.
Photo taken from here.
