• Home
  • Who Said What
  • Leave The World Cup Jemimah Rodrigues Reveals Conversation With Mother While Battling Anxiety

"Leave the World Cup": Jemimah Rodrigues reveals conversation with mother while battling anxiety

Harsh Adwani

Jemimah Rodrigues opens up on her anxiety [Source: @muffadal_vohra/x.com]Jemimah Rodrigues opens up on her anxiety [Source: @muffadal_vohra/x.com]

Jemimah Rodrigues has been very vocal about her battle with anxiety during India’s recent campaign in the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025. While the 25-year-old had an excellent start to the year, scoring her maiden ODI century followed by another, she did not have the best start to the tournament that mattered the most.

She scored a golden duck in the very first game of the tournament against Sri Lanka Women. In an exclusive interview with Cricbuzz, Jemimah revealed that she suffered anxiety right from the start of the tournament and that she wasn’t able to “psych it out”.

“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,” she said.

A conversation with her mother helped deal with anxiety

Recalling a conversation with her mother before the game against Pakistan, the star batter revealed that her mother suggested she leave the tournament midway because her daughter’s happiness meant more to her. She added that the conversation made all the difference.

“My mom told me one thing at that time, which I don't know if many people will be okay with her saying, 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,” she added.

Jemimah did not have the best start to the tournament, despite playing small cameos and was even dropped for the game against England. However, she did bounce back and returned to form with a half-century against New Zealand, and who can ever forget her masterclass against Australia in the semi-finals?

Her 127 not out showcased grit, the spirit to fight, and determination to win. Despite early blows to the top order, she stayed put and fought back, along with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, to make sure that India played the final.