“I almost cried every day on this tour,” said Jemimah Rodrigues, moments after steering India into the final of the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup. Her 127 off 134 deliveries, against a seemingly invincible Australian side and in front of a roaring full house at DY Patil Stadium, will now dominate the front page of every daily, the homepage of every website, the broadcasting programme of every channel, and the reels section of every social media handle.
But this was not the first time Jemimah had made headlines during the World Cup. Barely a week earlier, she had been a lightning rod for derision. Her crime was not scoring enough runs. Two ducks against Sri Lanka and South Africa. Lest we forget, India's greatest batter of this generation, Virat Kohli, has also been dismissed for two ducks only recently.
In a societal structure thriving on schadenfreude, women are the softest of targets. The usual narrative, after India had lost three matches in a row, were that the team is simply not good enough. That, BCCI’s pay parity scheme — albeit it is restricted to match fee, and not annual retainers — was undeserved. That, the nation would be better off if the women’s team never existed, and resources were allocated elsewhere. That, the team was was an indulgence undeserving of resources.
Broken, Yet Unshaken — The Superstar, That Is Jemimah Rodrigues
Among those singled out, Jemimah stood apart — as she always does — simply by being herself. A vivacious, happy-go-lucky, devil-may-care, 5’3” bundle of joy, whom, for those who have ever been in or around the Indian women’s team in any capacity, you will find sporting a smile bright enough to transform even the most cynical soul into an optimist.
But this nation broke Jemimah. It forced her into anxiety. Barely holding her tears back after the match, she said:
Firstly, last year I was dropped from this World Cup. This year I came and I thought, okay, I'll try. I was in good form, let's take it more. But things back to back just kept happening and I couldn't control anything. I had such amazing people around me who believed in me. I've almost cried every day throughout this tour. I was not doing well mentally, going through a lot of anxiety. Then being dropped was another challenge for me. But I think all I had to do was show up and God just took care of everything.Jemimah Rodrigues
Even as the shadows closed in, Jemimah stayed true to her core. The Quint had seen her train tirelessly at the sidelines, often with a coach or teammate, driven by the quiet desperation of someone determined to justify her place.
It was really hard these last four months, but it just feels like a dream. I actually did not know I was batting at three. I was still at five while taking a shower. And when the discussion was happening, I just told them, let me know. So just before entering in, five minutes before, I got to know I'm batting at three. But I didn't think about me. It was not for me to prove a point. It was just for me to win this match for India because we've always lost in crunch situations. And I just wanted to be there to be able to take us through.Jemimah Rodrigues
She did. And courtesy of her knock, India scripted history. They chased down a target of 339 runs in 48.3 overs. Not only was it India’s highest successful run chase in women’s ODIs, but it also was the highest successful chase in the history of this format, in women’s cricket.
And, they defeated Australia. A team that, for all practical purposes, seemed undefeatable. In fact, before coming into this match, Australia were on a run of 15 consecutive victories in the Women’s World Cup, with their last defeat being at the hands of India, in the 2017 semi-final.
Harmanpreet Kaur Didn't Hide Her Tears. She Didn't Need To.
Harmanpreet Kaur, seldom one to wear her heart openly, wept as 35,000+ fans erupted in Navi Mumbai. The Indian captain didn’t try to hide her tears — she didn’t need to. The world had to see what she and her team had endured.
After the match, Kaur stated:
This time we have passed that line which we have been working hard for so many years. It's an amazing feeling. We are keen to win this World Cup because playing in home condition is very special to us and we just want to give it to our fans, to our families who have been praying for us for so many years. I think this is a great time for us to deliver for our fans and family and hopefully one more game to go and we will keep giving our best. We are not playing alone, they are always with us and we are so proud that every game they are coming and pushing us. I think they have been amazing even though when we lost we were getting messages that this World Cup is not the end, you guys are amazing and you can change the result any day, any time and I think that shows how involved they are with us. I think we are not alone and the entire country is with us.Harmanpreet Kaur
This India Win, As That India Lose
Having scored an 88-ball 89 herself, Kaur could count on that support. But, was it always there?
As Vir Das once observed, there are two Indias. One, unwavering in its support, even after the three consecutive defeats. The other, quick to mock and quicker still to doubt. For context, India’s men’s team had recently lost an ODI series to Australia, yet their failure drew none of the same venom.
But this Indian team, these girls, know how to flip the script. Even when Australia were 220 for 2 with 17 overs left and a total beyond 350 seemed certain, Kaur’s belief in her players never wavered. And that conviction spread. Even after losing both openers — Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana — inside ten overs, India held firm. Soon, it was Australia who looked rattled: dropping catches, misfielding, and losing their aura of inevitability.
Tides shifted, equations were evened out, and narratives were re-written. Had it been a football game, the scoreline would have read: Matriarchy 1-0 Misogyny. Amid hatred, this India had won, beating that India.
The nation is called Bharat ‘Mata’ for a reason, and tonight, Navi Mumbai chanted ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jay’ in unison.