'A Collective Team Effort': Jemimah Rodrigues' Heartfelt Words To PM Narendra Modi On World Cup Win

The victorious Indian women's cricket team, which recently scripted history by winning the 2025 Women's World Cup title, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence on Wednesday. During the interaction, star batter Jemimah Rodrigues opened up about her emotions and mindset during her unbeaten 127-run knock against Australia in the semi-final - an innings that left the cricketing world in awe. India successfully chased down a daunting target of 339 in that match, registering the highest run chase in the history of women's ODIs. After the win, Jemimah was visibly emotional as the entire team celebrated jubilantly on the field.

When asked by the Prime Minister about her emotions during the game, Jemimah said: "It was the semi-final, and we had lost many close matches against Australia. When I went in to bat, my only agenda was to make India win. I wanted to play till the end, and when Harry Di (Harmanpreet Kaur) and I came out to bat, we told each other that we just needed one long partnership - and the opposition would go down."

She continued: "At that moment, it was a collective team effort. I know I scored a century, but if Harry Di and I hadn't stitched that partnership, and if Deepti hadn't played that quick knock, we wouldn't have won the game. Everyone believed - and that belief made the difference."

Jemimah also spoke about the strong bond within the team and how they bounced back after losing three consecutive matches earlier in the tournament. Harmanpreet Kaur and her team suffered defeats against Australia, South Africa, and England, but regrouped brilliantly to reach the semi-final and eventually clinch the coveted trophy.

Reflecting on the team's journey, Jemimah said: "After we lost those three matches, I realised a team is not defined by how many times you win, but by how many times you fall and pick yourself up. This team did that better than anyone - that's why it's a champion side."

She added: "Another thing is the unity we've always had. Whenever someone did well, everyone celebrated her success. And whenever someone was down, there was always a teammate to comfort and lift her up."

Topics mentioned in this article

India Women Australia Women Jemimah Rodrigues Women's ODI World Cup 2025 Cricket