Jemimah: How unshakeable faith helped her become a national hero

‘Just stand still, and God will fight for you’ (Exodus 14:14)

This line from the Bible has acquired a life of its own since Thursday night, when Jemimah Rodrigues thanked Jesus for being the inspiration behind her epic effort in the ICC World Cup semi-final against Australia. The unconditional faith, along with her assertion of winning it for India and not personal records, captured the imagination of the nation — but there was a lot of anguish hidden in the tears of the fun loving cricketer at D.Y. Patil Stadium.

Yes, her unbeaten 127 was one for the ages, but so was the power-packed 171 which Jemimah’s current skipper Harmanpreet Kaur belted out in India’s previous semi-final win against the yellow shirts in the 2017 edition in England. What made Jemimah’s story stand out was the way she took it as vindication of her own abilities after being dropped from the squad for the 2022 edition, the trolling throughout the ongoing campaign, and of course, the trauma she and her family had to suffer because of their religion last year.

Khar Gymkhana, one of Mumbai's oldest clubs, cancelled Jemimah’s membership after some of the members reportedly objected to her father Ivan using the club premises for “religious activities”, claiming that events were organised to “convert” the “vulnerable”. 

Jemimah’s membership was an honorary one — given in recognition of her achievements as an international cricketer. However, the allegation was enough to provoke a section of Hindutva commentators form a bandwagon against her, with faceless trolls on social media calling for her to be gangraped.

There were multiple interviews of Gymkhana leaders saying they took a spontaneous decision to revoke her membership after the objections. Most seemed to say Ivan had booked the community hall for the events, indicating that the process happened according to the Gymkhana’s rules.

A report in Wire.in now quotes fact-checker and Alt News co-founder Mohammad Zubair as saying that even at the height of the controversy, the Times of India had reported on how the club’s president Vivek Devnani had denied these allegations and said it was a product of factionalism in the club ahead of its elections. Now, with Jemimah the toast of the Indian cricketing fraternity, the irony was lost on few who recorded the vilification campaign she underwent earlier.

How did Jemimah, known in cricketing circles for her infectious smile and humility, manage to deal with all the trauma? A lot of her response was possibly hidden in her reply as she said at the post-match presentation: “I want to thank Jesus — I could not do this on my own. I want to thank my mom, dad, coach and every single person who believed in me.”

There was certainly more to it when a tearful Jemimah buried her face in dad Ivan’s chest — which made for such a priceless frame after the game.

Born to a middle-class Mangalorean Christian family in Mumbai's Bhandup area , Jemimah took her first steps in the sport under her father, a well-known figure in Mumbai’s cricketing circles as a former club cricketer and coach. Mother Lavita was a school teacher, balancing the family’s emotional and spiritual well being.

Jemimah has, in the past, described her mother as the rock of the family, often calling her before or after matches for reassurance. Lavita, along with Ivan, played an instrumental role in ensuring that Jemimah stayed grounded even as her cricketing career took off at a young age.

“I was going through a lot of anxiety at the start of the tournament. I used to call my mom and cry the entire time — because when you're going through anxiety, you just feel numb,” Jemimah said as emotions got the better of her despite being around in international cricket for a while.

Having started the tournament with two ducks and being dropped for the match against England, Jemimah said the phase shook her confidence. However, she credited her family, close friends and faith for helping her fight through. “My mum, dad and friends like Arundhati (Reddy) and Radha (Jadhav) were always there for me.’’

Turn to her Instagram and there is a new post today which says it all: 

‘This is a song that always helps me when it’s hard -

Christ is my firm foundation
The Rock on which I stand
When everything around me is shaking
I’ve never been more glad
That I put my faith in Jesus
‘Cause He’s never let me down
He’s faithful through generations
So why would He fail now?
He won’t
He won’t…’