Jemimah Rodrigues shares how India’s Women’s World Cup win transformed women’s cricket in the country. In November 2025 India won the title by beating South Africa by 52 runs in front of a packed crowd in Navi Mumbai. The victory was expected to be a watershed moment for Indian women’s cricket, similar to the men’s victory in the 1983 World Cup.
Read the full article
Jemimah, who scored 292 runs from seven innings in the tournament, reflected on the impact of the triumph, noting how it inspired a rise in young cricketers, both girls and boys, and increased recognition and admiration for female players.
“I think the biggest change has been the number of kids inspired to take up cricket after the Women’s World Cup. And I’m not just talking about girls, even boys have come up and said, ‘You’re my favorite cricketer.’ This is a very special moment because we haven’t had it before. It’s crazy to see the change,” Jemimah told Sports Today.
Jemimah emphasized that while the full impact of the win may not be immediately clear, its impact will be more evident in the years to come and will create a lasting legacy for women’s cricket in India.
“Maybe we don’t fully understand it now, but I think in a few years when we look back at this moment, we will properly realize the impact this World Cup had,” said Jemimah.
‘MUCH MORE TO DO’
Jemimah was elated after India secured a 2-1 win in the T20I series in Australia, their first on Australian soil in 10 years since 2016. She said the win was crucial ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup, while stressing the need to improve certain aspects of their game and develop a consistent winning habit.
“It’s very important as we head into the T20 World Cup and we know how competitive Australia are always against us. We felt really good but we also know the work is not over here. There’s still a lot to do and a few areas we need to improve on. We’ve talked about making winning a habit and we’re working on it,” added Jemimah.
After their win in Australia, India will head to South Africa to play five T20Is across Durban, Johannesburg and Benoni from April 17-27.
– The end
Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
22 March 2026 23:33 IST
