Jemimah Rodrigues has opened up about the difficult phase she and her family went through last year, both personally and professionally. The Indian cricketer and her father faced intense trolling after allegations surfaced that her father Ivan Rodrigues was using the khar Gymkhana premises in Mumbai for religious activities.
After the controversy, the club decided to withdraw Jemimah’s membership. Officials said the decision was made after some members objected to Ivan allegedly organizing religious events and trying to convert people on the premises.
In an exclusive interview with India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai, Jemimah clarified that her family had done nothing wrong and said that the allegations and hatred had hurt them deeply.
“Sir, to be honest, I remember when it 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 the time was within the rules and regulations – and we had proof of that. But the allegations against me and my family really hit us hard because we did nothing wrong,” said Jemimah.
IT BREAKED ME
Last year was a tough time for Indian women’s cricket after the team failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the Women’s T20 World Cup. India started their campaign with a loss to New Zealand, recorded wins over Pakistan and Sri Lanka, but a defeat to Australia ended their journey in the tournament.
Soon after India’s exit from the World Cup, Jemimah Rodrigues and her family faced intense backlash following the allegations against her father, adding to what was already a challenging time for the cricketer.
“It happened right after the World Cup in Dubai, where we didn’t do very well. I personally didn’t perform up to my expectations and I was already feeling down. Then all of a sudden I started seeing the news, the news and people saying terrible things about me – and what was worse, about my family and my church. It broke me. I remember my brother calling me and I started fake crying. I didn’t know what to do. I felt like my performance was the first after another blow,” said Jemimah.
GOD RAISED US
The year 2025 proved to be a turning point for Jemimah Rodrigues, who was part of the The Indian team that lifted the Women’s World Cup. After a shaky start with ducks against Sri Lanka and South Africa, she bounced back strongly with a half-century against New Zealand and a match-winning 127 in the semi-final against Australia.
Reflecting on her journey, Jemimah said it felt like fate had come full circle – after the difficult time she and her family had gone through, she felt God had rewarded her with the joy of World Cup glory.
“But as a family we sat together and said that this is not our fight. We knew that our intentions were right and we knew that we had done nothing wrong. God is our witness. So we decided to remain silent, not to prove anything or defend ourselves. We decided to forgive those who hurt us – because that’s what Jesus taught us, to forgive those who hurt us.”
“And honestly, I saw God turn it all around. Exactly one year later, New Zealand’s semi-final knock came and India won the World Cup. Around the same time last year, we were in pain, but this year God lifted us up and gave us double honor for every bit of shame we went through,” Jemimah added.
After an emotional World Cup campaign that ended in tears of joy and triumph, Jemimah Rodrigues headed straight to Australia where she currently represents the Brisbane Heat in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL).
– The end
Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
November 13, 2025
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