Jemimah Rodrigues wins hearts by speaking openly about mental health struggles, ‘It takes a lot of courage to…’

Soon after taking India to the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 final, Jemimah Rodrigues opened up about her mental health struggles. She admitted to battling severe anxiety and emotional distress throughout the tournament.

Jemimah, who looked nothing short of a superhero during her innings, could not hold her tears after scoring an unbeaten 127 in the semi-final against Australia. She tearfully spoke about how mentally difficult the month had been.

The number 5 thanked everyone who supported her. She revealed feeling numb and anxious, often crying daily and calling her mother for comfort. She temporarily suffered a dip in form. Being dropped for a match against England had shaken her confidence further, she said.

Jemimah said her comeback was possible because of her family, teammates and friends. She also owed it to her strong Christian faith, which gave her hope.

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still,” Jemimah Rodrigues quoted Exodus 14:14 soon after winning the match for Team India. Throughout the match, she kept saying that to herself, she added.

Indian cricket fans were awestruck by Jemimah Rodrigues’ strength to speak openly about mental health struggles.

“I will be very vulnerable here because I know, if someone is watching, this might be going through the same thing, and that’s my whole purpose of saying it because nobody wants to talk about their weakness,” she said after the match.

“She is one of the best Indian cricketers. Period. (She is) someone who enjoys life and plays cricket with passion and heart,” posted one user.

“She was absolutely locked in. Zen mode,” wrote another.

“The best innings I ever saw. Simply brilliant performance in a run chase. Doing the unthinkable,” came from another.

Thank you, Jemimah Rodrigues

One user posted on Twitter (now X), “Thank you, Jemimah Rodrigues, for not hiding your anxiety or your vulnerabilities from the world. Shine on.”

“She spoke so bravely about her mental health. Many athletes go through this but don’t talk about it. Real strength includes vulnerability,” posted another user.

Another tweet said, “Such a heart-warming thing to watch a woman cricketer use the world stage platform to talk about mental health challenges… Way to go, Jemimah Rodrigues!”

“It’s not easy to talk about anxiety & mental health struggles publicly. Her tears & words reflected incredible strength. Really love & admire her honesty,” commented another X user.

“It takes a lot of courage to let others see our vulnerability… Thanks for speaking up about mental health, and I’m sure it would motivate others,” wrote another user.