'He Was The One Who...,': Jemimah Rodrigues Recalls Meeting With Sachin Tendulkar
Jemimah in conversation with Tendulkar [Twitter]
India batter Jemimah Rodrigues revealed that Sachin Tendulkar soothed her nerves ahead of her international debut.
In the latest season of Breakfast with Champions, Jemimah narrated the story of her meeting with the legendary cricketer, sharing how the latter calmed the butterflies in her stomach.
"When they called me for my India debut, suddenly my coach said we are going. Sachin sir has called you. He didn’t even know me then and the first question he asked me was 'Are you nervous'?" Jemimah said.
"I was talking to him about T20 cricket. I asked him some questions. He said, ‘I have not played a lot of T20 cricket. I don’t think I’m the right person to answer your question.'"
The 22-year-old played her first match for India against South Africa in 2018. Tendulkar's advice worked for Jemimah as she scored a 27-ball 37 and helped her team win the match by seven wickets
"And I was 17 at that time and was going to make my debut in South Africa, so I said : 'Yes I am kind of nervous'. He was like you are nervous because you care. He was the one who calmed those nerves. Coming from his mouth put me at ease," she added.
Jemimah, further, talked about the moment she got a glimpse of Tendulkar for the first time.
"I stay in Bandra so just behind my house was his (Tendulkar’s) house. From my balcony, literally I could see his Audi come there (after the 2011 WC final). The streets were packed and you couldn’t even walk. I saw him come out of the car and I could just see his head from behind. That was my first memory of actually seeing Sachin sir in person," she mentioned.
Jemimah has been recently doing well for India and was her side's third-highest scorer in the T20 World Cup 2023. She gathered 129 runs in five matches.
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