Imagine waking up one morning and not recollecting what you’re going to do for the entire week. There’s a realisation that work must be done but no real recollection of what it is that you’re meant to do. Or let’s say, you get back home with a half a million dollar check in your bag whilst driving the most salubrious ride and back to the plushest apartment there is in the entire block. There are great chandeliers, amazing wine, loving pets but no friend to call your own, at the end of the day. Wouldn’t you trade all the unnecessary hype creating non virtuous objects to gather something to love and finally, some real company?
What makes Jemimah Rodrigues one of a kind?
A little over an hour ago, Jemimah Rodrigues, India’s vice captain on a few occasions and its rock steady rescuer, as seen in the pulsating semi’s contest against the Aussies, tasted glory. For her country. However, it wasn’t before experiencing what she would herself reveal to be “one of the most challenging phases of my life!” A year ago before her severely important and emotionally uplifting century against Australia women’s team, she wasn’t in the team, let alone next to a chance to make an impact. Constant in and outs from the Indian national women’s cricket team only exacerbated her woes. And what were those, anyways? Anxiety. Borderline, no, a little beyond the borderline stress. The fear of the unknown; “what if I’m not picked again, what if this or that?” Jemimah’s mind, beautiful that it is, was wrecked by the havoc called uncertainty. And it is during this very difficult twelve month period that she realised with a bit more depth than she had previously before, her connection with god.
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Very Ayrton Senna-like, some would reckon!
Isn’t it?
As the saviour of India in the crunch, nail biting game against the Aussies would later explain in the post-match ceremony, the audience, exhausted by all it had felt and experienced still persisted akin to their game changer. And there was no surprise, whatsoever.
After all, it is during moments of crises and immensity of pressure that one rises to the best of one’s ability. Which is why when the scorer of the gritty, chivalrous, very talismanic 127 not out took to the mic, post her showstopping act with the cricket willow, you listened. Something moved within you. Some shed tears. Some found hope. And others, light when all had seemed dark. And that is when Jemimah Rodrigues, perhaps one of the nicest and most loving cricketers there is offered an insight for the ages.
She’d reckon- “When you stand still, god fights for you”, alluding to the fact that when you surrender everything to him, that is when he takes over. And wins it. For you. Guess what?
On October 30, 2025, this is exactly what had happened. God took over. Jemimah was the trier. The one who willingly soldiered one. Never for self interest; only and only for India. And in the end, when you do it for a collective, you win.
So while we must cheer on and salute this absolute wonder for her team and someone who withstood pressure when it was so easy to be consumed by it, Jemimah Rodrigues strove for her collective. It’s never about the ‘I’. But always about the victory of the ‘we’!.