"Was Crying, Just Wanted Someone To Understand Me": Jemimah Rodrigues On Battling Anxiety During ODI World Cup
Indian cricket team star Jemimah Rodrigues battled anxiety during Women's ODI World Cup 2025.
Star batter Jemimah Rodrigues played a pivotal role in India's first-ever Women's World Cup title win earlier this month. The player smashed a memorable 127 not out in the semi-final to help India pull off an unbelievable chase of 339 runs against Australia. After playing the huge knock, Rodrigues was quite honest in the post-match interaction. She revealed that she had been battling anxiety during the tournament. Roughly a month after that revelation, Rodrigues has talked in detail about the challenges she faced during the tournament due to her health.
"I was dealing with a lot of anxiety, right from the first match. I don't know, for some reason, I was not able to get rid of it. And, when you talk about anxiety, sometimes you can't psych it out. You know, the answers might be very simple. It's very easy for me to say, 'But Jemi, why are you getting scared? Or why are you feeling anxious?' But sometimes I also know the answer is very simple, but I was just not able to fight it out or get rid of it," Rodrigues told Cricbuzz.
She further revealed that a conversation with her mother ahead of match against Pakistan changed things.
"My mom told me one thing at that time, which I don't know if many people will be okay with her saying it but it meant the world to me. She went like, 'For me, even if right now you just want to leave the World Cup and come back home, I'm okay. And I will fight with everyone for it. But you being happy is what matters to me the most.' I was crying. I told my mom that, 'You know what, you just saying this means the world to me. I know I'll be okay now because I know that you're just valuing me for me and not for what I can do. You're understanding me.' At that moment, I just wanted someone to understand me. But if somebody has not been through it, it is hard for them to understand," said Rodrigues.
India Women