Jemimah Rodrigues is back to doing what she loves most — wielding the bat and lighting up cricket fields.
Fresh from India’s iconic World Cup triumph, the young star walked out in Brisbane Heat colours for the Women’s Big Bash League and joked on Channel 7,
“Honestly, I wasn’t sure if Australia would let me cross the border after those semifinals!” But the warmth she received only strengthened her belief — women’s cricket had truly arrived on the world stage.
For Jemimah, this moment wasn’t just a milestone — it was the fulfillment of a dream seeded long before stadiums roared her name.
As a little girl in Bandra, she walked into Mumbai’s fabled MIG Cricket Club and found herself the only girl among 500 boys.
She remembers those early days vividly — eyes full of dreams, heart full of courage, and no one who looked like her on the turf.
“After the 2017 World Cup, things began to shift, and soon the club built special nets for girls. That’s when I realised — women’s cricket is here to stay,” she said.
But the dream began even earlier — in 2011, on a Mumbai balcony, as she watched Sachin Tendulkar lift the World Cup and whispered to herself: One day, that will be me.
She was just 11 then. Years passed, training sessions piled up, runs flowed, tears too.
Then came the day she walked into the Indian dressing room, nervous but determined.
Legends like Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj — women she idolised — welcomed her with encouragement and belief.
“Jhulan di told me she had seen my performances and that I deserved to be here. That one sentence changed everything.”
Through every step, she knew she carried more than her own dreams — she carried the hopes of millions of girls who once believed cricket wasn’t their playground.
She spoke with gratitude about the support system that backed the women’s team even before their triumph.
She applauded BCCI and Jay Shah for levelling the playing field before a trophy demanded it. “They believed in us when it mattered most. That belief built this World Cup win.”
For Jemimah, this victory isn’t just India lifting a trophy — it’s every girl who stayed late at practice, every mother and father who encouraged a daughter to dream, and every pioneer who played without applause or opportunities.
She remembers them all — Jhulan di, Mithali di, Anjum di, Shantha Rangaswamy, Neetu David, Diana Edulji — women who carved a path in silence so today’s team could walk in celebration.
“We don’t take the credit. We stand on their shoulders,” she said.
And through all the fanfare, she remains grounded — cherishing the bond she shares with her teammates and the belief fostered by coach Amol Muzumdar. “We celebrate each other’s success.
We lift each other in tough moments. That’s our biggest strength.”
Today, Jemimah smiles, knowing her childhood vision came true — the girl who once peered down from a balcony now stands on the podium of world champions.
The journey took sweat, sacrifice, sleepless nights, and relentless faith. And now, as she steps back on foreign soil with pride in her stride, she knows — this is only the beginning.
A dream once whispered to the skies of Bandra has now echoed across the world.
