Suniel Shetty lauds Jemimah Rodrigues for standing by Smriti Mandhana amid wedding-cancellation rumours 


Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty has publicly praised cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues for standing by her friend and teammate Smriti Mandhana at a difficult moment. The praise comes after Jemimah opted to skip the remainder of her season in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) to remain in India and support Smriti, whose wedding with singer-composer Palash Muchhal was abruptly postponed due to a sudden family health crisis.

On Friday, Suniel Shetty shared a newspaper clipping on X (formerly Twitter) with the headline, “Jemimah opts out of WBBL to be by Mandhana’s side.” Alongside the article, he penned an emotional note: “Bumped into this article first thing in the morning and my heart felt full. Jemimah leaving the WBBL to be by Smriti’s side. No big statements, just quiet solidarity. This is what real teammates do. Simple. Straight. Genuine.”

Smriti and Palash’s wedding was scheduled for November 23, 2025, in Sangli — but just before the ceremony, Smriti’s father fell ill and was hospitalised, forcing the wedding to be postponed indefinitely. Palash was also reportedly hospitalised soon after.

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Neither Mandhana nor Muchhal has made any statement regarding the speculation. Jemimah Rodrigues — who had travelled to India earlier to attend the wedding — was expected to return to Australia to resume her WBBL commitments. But given the abrupt postponement and the gravity of the situation, she requested the franchise (Brisbane Heat) to release her from the rest of the season so she could remain with her friend. The club agreed, releasing her for the remainder of the WBBL.