Wasn't doing well mentally, had a lot of anxiety, Jemimah Rodrigues says after historic knock
Navi Mumbai: Indian cricket’s newest World Cup hero, Jemimah Rodrigues, broke down during the post-match presentation ceremony after guiding India to a historic five-wicket win over Australia in the ICC Women’s World Cup semi-final on Thursday. Fighting back tears, the 25-year-old opened up about her mental health struggles, including anxiety, and how the support of her family, teammates, and faith in God helped her rediscover her strength.
Jemimah’s unbeaten 127 off 134 balls was more than a match-winning knock; it was a story of resilience and faith. “It was really hard this last month, it feels like a dream and it still has not sunk in. Last time, I was dropped from this World Cup. I was in good form. But things kept happening back-to-back and I could not control anything. I have almost cried every day through this tour," a visibly emotional Jemimah said.
Determined to speak honestly about her struggles, Jemimah said she wanted to be vulnerable because she knew others might be facing similar battles. She recalled how anxiety gripped her during the early stages of the tournament, leading to tearful phone calls to her mother. “At the start of the tournament, I was going through a lot of anxiety. I used to call my mom and cry the entire time because when you’re going through anxiety, you just feel numb,” she shared. Having started the campaign with a string of low scores and even being dropped for the match against England, Jemimah admitted that her confidence took a major hit. But she credited her faith, family, and close friends for helping her fight through that dark phase.
During her innings on Thursday, Jemimah constantly motivated herself, engaging in self-talk to stay composed. She later revealed that in the tense final moments, she recited a verse from the Bible to maintain her focus.
“I think initially I was just trying to stay focussed, I just keep talking to myself. But towards the end I was just quoting one scripture from the Bible. Because I had lost energy, I was very tired. I was drained and one scripture that said, "just stand still and God will fight for you". And that's what I did. And I just stood there and he fought for me,” she said, with tears rolling down her cheeks.
She also explained that she didn’t celebrate her century because her focus remained firmly on taking India home. "Today was not about my 50 or my 100. Today was about making India win. I know I got a few chances, but I just feel like God has given everything at the right time and he grew it into the right intention, pure intention. And I just feel everything has happened so far just to sit up for this. You make your own luck," she said after winning the Player of the Match in the big-ticket semi-final.
The star player further spoke about the support she received from her teammates, saying that towards the end she tried to push herself but could barely manage to continue. "Deepti spoke to me every ball and kept encouraging me. Richa came and lifted me up. When I cannot carry on, my teammates can encourage me. Cannot take credit for anything, I did not do anything (on my own)," added Jemimah.
The ICC shared a five-minute video of Jemimah’s emotional interview on social media, captioned: “A teary Jemimah Rodrigues describes what it means to take India through to the #CWC25 final.” Fans flooded the comments with praise for her openness about mental health. One user wrote, “What a courageous lady! She could have shown her winner’s side, but she chose to show her vulnerable side. The battles she fought in her head. So much honesty. What a role model!”
India’s record-breaking victory over Australia not only sealed their spot in the final but also ignited hopes of a maiden ODI World Cup title. The Women in Blue will face South Africa in the final on November 2 in Navi Mumbai.
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EC role, Hindu vote consolidation among factors for BJP win in Bengal polls: J-K CM Omar
Srinagar (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday attributed the BJP's West Bengal win to a "significant role" played by the Election Commission (EC), alongside a consolidation of Hindu votes and a fractured minority mandate.
Abdullah also said the INDIA bloc needs to define its role in the political landscape of the country and make it clear whether the opposition alliance was limited to the parliamentary elections or extended to the state elections as well.
Talking to PTI Videos, Abdullah hinted that the EC has compromised its neutrality by conducting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal and linked it to the BJP's gains in the state, claiming large-scale deletion of legitimate voters.
On the performance of the BJP in the just concluded assembly elections, Abdullah said the saffron party has almost nothing to show in southern states.
"So then you look at West Bengal and Assam. Yes, the BJP improved its tally in Assam. There are various reasons for that. You know as well as I do, what those are. West Bengal, I think we need to look at the results very carefully," he said.
"The easiest explanation for the West Bengal result is the serious curtailing of voter list," Abdullah said.
"Voters found their names deleted. People who served in uniform and fought for this country on the borders, who were considered Indian citizens all their lives, were suddenly held to a higher standard and not allowed to vote. Something is not right," he said.
While alleging that the EC played a "significant part" in the results, the chief minister admitted the outcome was multifaceted and noted a consolidation of over 60 per cent of the Hindu vote towards the BJP and a "significant fracture" in the minority vote, particularly in seats where Muslims constitute over 50 per cent of the population.
"There is no doubt that the role of the Election Commission played a significant part in the results but we will also have to look at the other factors," he said.
He said the results of West Bengal cannot be compared to those in other states. "The situation was unique to West Bengal. The SIR that was done, the way in which the voter lists were changed, the sort of minute scrutiny that the Election Commission subjected West Bengal to, the role of the central investigative agencies.
"All of these are situations that at least in recent electoral history of India are unique to West Bengal. So to suggest that we can learn lessons from West Bengal and implement them in other parts of the country, I think would not be correct," he said.
Abdullah had recently said that if the West Bengal results throw a surprise, the role of EC will come under scrutiny.
However, during Tuesday's interview, the chief minister said he still maintains that electronic voting machines (EVMs) do not lead to vote theft.
"What we saw in West Bengal...I know there are a lot of people who believe that the EVMs themselves are flawed. I am not a proponent of that conspiracy theory.
"But I do believe that the Election Commission has done itself no favours in the way in which it has gone about both the process of delimitation and the process of finalisation of electoral rolls," he said and cited the example of delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir or Assam.
"These are clear examples of how the process was done to benefit one party or in the case of Jammu and Kashmir, one party and its allies. And the results speak for themselves. You created seven new seats in Jammu and Kashmir and out of those six seats were won by the BJP. You redrew assembly constituencies to benefit one particular party or its allies. And the same is true for West Bengal as well," he said.
Referring to the INIDA bloc, he said the election results were no new message for the alliance.
"We need to decide what the INDIA bloc is for. Is it only for Parliament or for state elections as well?" he asked.
"What happened in West Bengal is unfortunate. The Congress and TMC fought against each other. Now the Congress agrees with Mamata Banerjee that 100 seats were stolen, but the fact is they fought each other," he said.
Despite the friction, Abdullah reaffirmed the "pre-eminent position" of the Congress within the opposition alliance, dismissing the idea of any other party assuming the mantle.
"The Congress is the only party other than the BJP with a pan-India presence. All of us acknowledge this," he stated.
"To suggest someone else can assume a leadership role would be incorrect. Kharge Sahib is the president of the Congress, and by virtue of that, he assumes leadership of the INDIA bloc meetings. That is the way it should be," the chief minister said.
Abdullah said any 'Common Minimum Programme' would depend on whether the opposition alliance decides to fight state assembly elections collectively, noting that he would share his specific views with the bloc internally rather than through the media.
