Team India batter Jemimah Rodrigues has spoken for the first time about the emotional toll she and her family have suffered following the Khar Gymkhana controversy. Rodrigues said she could have handled the criticism leveled at her, but added that her parents and church were being dragged into baseless allegations.
Jemimah Rodrigues was part of India’s campaign for the 2025 Women’s World Cup. She started the tournament with two ducks against Sri Lanka and South Africa, but bounced back with a half-century against New Zealand. She scored an unbeaten 127 from 134 balls, including 14 fours, in the semi-final against Australia.
Jemimah Rodrigues suspended from Khar Gymkhana after controversy
India went through a tough phase in women’s cricket last year after being eliminated from the group stage of the Women’s T20 World Cup. They opened the tournament with a defeat against New Zealand, bounced back with victories against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, but a defeat against Australia ended their campaign.
Your daily dose of cricket!
Following India’s exit from the World Cup, Jemimah Rodrigues and her family became the center of a controversy involving allegations against her father, which sparked widespread backlash and led to the temporary suspension of her Khar Gymkhana membership.
Jemimah’s father, Ivan Rodrigues, allegedly organized several gatherings related to Brother Manuel’s ministries over an 18-month period. These religious practices were considered to violate the club’s ban on any political or religious activity.
The allegations against me and my family have really deeply affected us – Jemimah Rodrigues
Jemimah Rodrigues described the incident as one of the most difficult times of her life. She said her family followed all the rules and even had evidence. However, she added that the allegations had caused great distress as they knew they had done nothing wrong.
“Sir, to be honest, I remember when this happened. It was one thing for me to deal with it, but when my parents were dragged into this for something we didn’t do, it really hurt,” Jemimah told India Today.
“Everything we did at the time was within the rules and regulations – and we had proof. But the allegations against me and my family really hit us deeply because we had done nothing wrong,” she added.
My brother called me and I just started crying – Jemimah Rodrigues
Jemimah said the controversy came after a disappointing World Cup campaign. The batter recalls breaking down during a phone call with her brother as the pressure of poor form and allegations mounted one after the other.
“It happened right after the World Cup in Dubai, where we didn’t do well. Personally, I didn’t live up to my expectations and I was already feeling depressed,” Jemimah continued.
“Then suddenly I started seeing news, messages and people saying terrible things about me – and worse, about my family and my church. It broke me. I remember my brother calling me and I just started crying. I didn’t know what to do. It was like one blow after another – first my performance, then false allegations about my family.”
Also Read: West Indies ODI squad announced for New Zealand series; John Campbell recalled after 6 years
