Team India batter Jemimah Rodrigues has spoken for the first time about the emotional toll on her and her family following the Khar Gymkhana controversy. Rodrigues said that she could have handled the criticism directed at her, but added that her parents and her church were dragged into baseless allegations.
Jemimah Rodrigues was part of India’s Women’s World Cup 2025 campaign. She began 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 off 134 balls, including 14 fours, in the semi-final against Australia.
Jemimah Rodrigues Suspended from Khar Gymkhana After Controversy
India endured a difficult phase in women’s cricket last year after elimination from the group stage of the Women’s T20 World Cup. They opened the tournament with a loss to New Zealand, bounced back with wins over Pakistan and Sri Lanka, but a defeat to Australia ended their campaign.
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After India’s World Cup exit, Jemimah Rodrigues and her family became the centre of a controversy involving allegations against her father, which triggered widespread backlash and led to the temporary suspension of her Khar Gymkhana membership.
Jemimah’s father, Ivan Rodrigues, had allegedly hosted multiple gatherings linked to Brother Manuel Ministries over an 18-month period. These religious practices were seen as violating the club’s ban on political or religious activities.
Allegations Made Against Me and My Family Really Affected Us Deeply – Jemimah Rodrigues
Jemimah Rodrigues described the incident as one of the most difficult periods of her life. She said that her family had followed every rule and even had evidence. However, she added that the allegations caused significant distress because they knew they had done nothing wrong.
“Sir, to be honest, I remember when that happened. It was one thing for me to face it, but when my parents were dragged into it for something we didn’t do, it really hurt,” Jemimah said on India Today.
“Everything we did at that time was according to the rules and regulations — and we had proof of that. But the allegations made against me and my family really affected us deeply because we had done nothing wrong,” she added.
My Brother Called Me, and I Just Started Crying – Jemimah Rodrigues
Jemimah stated that the controversy came after a disappointing World Cup campaign. The batter recalled that she broke down during a phone call with her brother as the pressure of poor form and the allegations mounted one after another.
“That happened right after the World Cup in Dubai, where we hadn’t done well. I personally hadn’t performed to my expectations and was already feeling low,” Jemimah continued.
“Then suddenly, I started seeing news, messages, and people saying terrible things about me — and worse, about my family and my church. That broke me. I remember my brother calling me, and I just started crying. I didn’t know what to do. It felt like one blow after another — first my performance, and then false allegations about my family.”
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