When Jemimah Rodrigues walked onto the stage at the NDTV Indian Of The Year ceremony, she did so not just as a World Cup hero, but as the emotional heartbeat of an Indian team that rewrote history at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025.
At just 25, Jemimah emerged as one of the defining figures of India’s maiden Women’s World Cup triumph. Her unbeaten 127 in the semi-final against Australia—a knock that powered India to the highest successful run chase in the history of women’s cricket—will be remembered as one of the tournament’s most iconic performances. But at the NDTV event, Jemimah revealed that her greatest strength lay not only in her bat, but in how she harnessed her inner energy.
“Yes, I have my energy, but it’s about how you use that energy to your advantage,” Jemimah said, reflecting on the quality that teammates and fans have long associated with her. “Sir—our head coach—keeps saying, ‘Your energy is also what rubs off on and drives everyone in the team, especially when fielding.’”
Turning Energy Into a Superpower
Known as one of the most animated and infectious personalities in the Indian dressing room, Jemimah explained that her on-field intensity is deliberate and deeply personal. “When I walk onto the ground, I think I’m a different person,” she said with a smile. “My teammates make fun of me—sometimes it’s hard to talk to Jemi because she’s so serious and so focused on the field. But that’s me. When I’m on the ground, I’m there, and I’m 100 per cent there.”
That ability to switch modes, she revealed, is her true superpower. “It’s also about how I balance that energy. I use it to my advantage. I think it brings the best out of me. One of my superpowers is knowing how to switch on and switch off—and that really helps me.”
Vulnerability Behind the Brilliance
Yet the World Cup was not an easy emotional journey for the Mumbai-born batter. Behind the scenes of her match-winning performances was a battle with anxiety and self-doubt—something Jemimah chose to speak about openly after her semi-final heroics.
“I’ll be very vulnerable here because I know someone watching might be going through the same thing,” she said, her voice trembling at the time. “I was going through a lot of anxiety at the start of the tournament. I used to call my mom and cry the entire time. When you’re going through anxiety, you just feel numb.”
Her honesty struck a chord far beyond the Indian camp. Jemimah recalled one of the most moving moments of the tournament coming not from teammates, but from opponents.
“Literally four or five of the South Africa players came up to me and hugged me,” she revealed. “We are rivals—we were going to play the final next—but they just hugged me and said, ‘We’re so proud of you, not just for your performance, but for being your vulnerable self. Most of us go through the same thing.’”
“That,” Jemimah said, “is something that will stay with me forever.”
Numbers That Match the Impact
While her words resonated deeply, Jemimah’s numbers at the World Cup were equally compelling. She finished as India’s third-highest run-scorer, amassing 292 runs in seven innings at an impressive average of 58.40. More than statistics, however, it was the timing of her runs—and the calm authority with which she scored them—that underlined her growing stature as one of world cricket’s most reliable big-match players.
More Than a Champion
Jemimah Rodrigues’ World Cup journey encapsulated the evolution of Indian women’s cricket itself—fearless, expressive, emotionally honest, and unapologetically ambitious. Her willingness to talk about mental health, even at the peak of success, has made her a role model beyond the boundary ropes.
“To know what kind of impact it had on others—that’s bigger than runs,” she said. “That’s what really matters.”
As India celebrates its historic World Cup victory, Jemimah’s story stands as a reminder that greatness is not only about medals and milestones, but also about courage, vulnerability, and the power of being authentically yourself.
