Indian batting sensation Jemimah Rodrigues has revealed the emotional turmoil she experienced during the initial stages of the recently concluded ODI Women's World Cup, where India emerged victorious despite a challenging beginning to their campaign.
The Rocky World Cup Start
The Women in Blue started their World Cup journey with consecutive victories against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, but then encountered a difficult phase with three straight losses against South Africa, Australia, and England. The team faced potential elimination before staging a remarkable comeback with a crucial win against New Zealand, while their match against Bangladesh was abandoned due to weather conditions.
Rodrigues personally struggled during the opening matches, scoring 0 against Sri Lanka and 32 versus Pakistan before recording another duck against South Africa. Her performance led to her being dropped from the playing eleven for the England match, creating additional pressure on the young batter.
The Turning Point Conversation
In a recent interview with CricBuzz, the Mumbai-based cricketer disclosed the depth of her anxiety ahead of the Pakistan match. "The morning of the Pakistan game, I was fine till then," Rodrigues recalled. "I went out, I tried to do all the things that made me happy because we had I think four days off in Sri Lanka. But then the morning of the match, I was feeling too much."
The pressure became overwhelming after her physio session, leading her to retreat to her room where she broke down in tears. Rodrigues immediately called her mother, confessing, "I'm not feeling okay and I don't know what to do. I'm just struggling." She detailed how even her fielding, which had always been her stress reliever, had become a source of anxiety as she felt compelled to make extraordinary contributions to compensate for her batting struggles.
Mother's Wisdom That Changed Everything
Her mother's response proved to be the pivotal moment in Rodrigues' World Cup journey. "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," Rodrigues shared. "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.'"
This unconditional support moved Rodrigues to tears and provided the emotional relief she desperately needed. "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," she told her mother during that emotional conversation.
The impact was immediate and profound. Rodrigues returned to the playing eleven against New Zealand, where she scored a crucial 76-run knock that helped India secure victory and advance to the semifinals. Her remarkable turnaround continued with a spectacular 127-run performance against Australia in the semifinal, where India successfully chased down a massive target of 338 runs. She concluded her World Cup campaign with 24 runs in the final as India lifted their first ICC trophy by defeating South Africa.
Rodrigues emphasized the importance of having someone who truly understood her emotional state, noting that unless someone has experienced similar pressure, it's difficult for them to comprehend the mental challenges professional athletes face during high-stakes tournaments like the World Cup.
