'I used to call my mom and cry': Jemimah Rodrigues opens up on anxiety battles at Women's World Cup

Jemimah Rodrigues opens up on anxiety battles at Women's World Cup

Jemimah Rodrigues played a defining knock against Australia in the ICC Women's World Cup semifinal at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. She first stitched a solid partnership with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, then ensured she stood there until India closes the match, which the hosts did in some emphatic fashion.

Her unbeaten 127, Kaur's 89, and handy contribution by Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, and Amanjot Kaur saw India wrap the record 339 chase with nine balls to spare and win by five wickets.

Soon after helping India cross the line, Jemimah failed to control her emotions, with camera capturing her sobbing, trying to soak in the moment. This was also seen during the post-match presentation ceremony and even during the presser after the contest.

Also Read | From Tears to Triumph: Jemimah Rodrigues’ redemption story behind India’s greatest chase

While tears were understandable, what was noteworthy was Jemimah speaking about her mental struggles, presenting a side of a player's story that mostly remains unknown.

In a video from the press conference, which has gone viral on social media, Jemimah can once again be seen emotional and sharing her ordeal with anxiety battles and mental struggles.

Jemimah Rodrigues the gem of a person u are pic.twitter.com/vXWdPpc3lI

— Plow Wan (@usermodeabc) October 30, 2025

“I'll be very vulnerable here because I know if someone is watching this, they might be going through the same thing. And that's my whole purpose of saying it is because nobody likes to talk about their weakness. I was going through a lot of anxiety at the starting of the tournament and it was a lot before few games also I used to call my mom and cry,” Jemimah told reporters on Thursday.

“Cry the entire time, let it all out, because when you're going through anxiety, you just feel numb. You don't know what to do. You're trying to be yourself. And also in this time, my mom, my dad, they supported me a lot. And also, there was Arundhati who I think almost every day I've cried in front - almost every day I've cried in front of her. Later, I was joking, I said, you don't come in front of me, I'll start crying. But she checked on me every single day,” she added.