ELLE Cover Star: Jemimah Rodrigues – Woman. Player. Champion.

There are rare moments when, even as they unfold, you know you are watching history being made. Moments that will be celebrated for years, replayed endlessly, and remembered as turning points. The recent World Cup win for Team India was one such moment. The nation erupted as the final run was scored, belief crystallising in real time. Eleven women. One dream. And over 1.4 billion people holding their breath as history was written.

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Among the champions was 24-year-old Jemimah Rodrigues, a child of Mumbai’s cricket grounds, raised between church choirs and Shivaji Park nets, who first picked up a bat at age four and made her India debut at just seventeen. The daughter of a hockey coach and a school sports teacher, she grew up in a family where sport wasn’t a hobby but a language. Selection didn’t come through a dramatic twist but through years of small, steady steps: early mornings, long practice sessions, state matches, under-19 tournaments, and finally a call that changed everything.

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For ELLE India’s 29th anniversary cover, Rodrigues reflects on her role in that momentous victory — not just the result, but what it took to reach it: the anxiety, the faith, the doubt, the quiet resilience. Beneath the pressure of expectation, I discovered a woman learning to choose peace without losing her edge.

ELLE: When you walk onto the cricket field today, who shows up — the child who played cricket because it made her happy or the athlete carrying a country’s expectations? 

Jemimah Rodrigues (JR): All versions of me show up. The little girl who fell in love with cricket is always there — she still gets excited every time I step onto the field. Then there’s the athlete who understands what this jersey represents and the expectations that come with it. And now there’s also a version of me that’s learning to stay centred, to choose calm over noise. It’s joy, pressure, and a quiet intention to stay grounded, all at once.

ELLE: When did cricket stop being just a game and start becoming your anchor?

JR: I realised it very early. I was a shy kid who relied a lot on my mother, but the moment I stepped onto a field or held a bat, I felt like myself. Confident. At ease. That’s when I knew this game meant so much more to me.

ELLE: You’ve played across leagues and cultures. What did playing overseas teach you that India couldn’t, and vice versa?

JR: Playing overseas pushes you out of your comfort zone — new conditions, new teammates, new expectations. That’s where growth happens. But playing in India is emotional. Here, every run and every failure feels bigger because the love is so intense. It’s pressure, but it’s also pride. Nothing compares to playing in front of your own people.

ELLE: You’ve spoken about the anxiety and emotional toll of the last World Cup. When did it hit you that the pressure you were feeling wasn’t just something you shake off and be fine?

JR: Right at the start. It was my first ODI World Cup, and the last time it happened, I wasn’t even part of the team. Being a home World Cup made it even harder — everyone kept saying, ‘Bring the cup home.’ I got a duck in the first match, doubted myself constantly, and then I was dropped for the match against England. That broke me. I cried almost every night.

What helped was realising I didn’t have to go through it alone. I had people around me who understood, and that taught me it’s okay to ask for help. The biggest lesson was simple: just show up. Even on the days you feel off, something good is always around the corner. 

During the semifinals, it felt like everything was coming together perfectly. More than anything, the biggest joy for me was defeating Australia. We had always come close and lost to them, but to beat them in the semifinals on my home ground, in front of my people and my parents — I couldn’t have asked for anything better.

ELLE: Public Jemimah is playful and confident. What’s the private version of you like?

JR: Pretty similar, honestly, but quieter. I need stillness. I like to sit with my thoughts, pray, and reflect. That calm gives me the clarity to show up with energy when it’s needed.

ELLE: You had a moment where things didn’t click on the field, and the noise got louder off it. What grounded you when your confidence didn’t feel like enough? 

JR: Faith. It taught me that I’m not in control of everything, and that there’s someone greater holding it all together. Even in tough moments, that belief gave me hope and the grace to keep going.

ELLE: You’re part of a generation of women athletes who aren’t just playing, you’re changing how India sees women in sport. How does that feel? 

JR: It feels empowering. This year alone, it wasn’t just us — women’s blind cricket and kabaddi teams also won. Women’s sport in India is taking off, and this is just the beginning. It motivates me to work harder and raise the bar even more.

ELLE: What’s one moment that changed you more than a trophy or a title ever could — something small and quiet, yet irreversible?

JR: Realising my parents loved me the same whether I scored or didn’t. During a rough phase, their love never changed — if anything, it grew stronger. That taught me my worth isn’t tied to performance.

ELLE: With respect to your game today, what are you working on that the world doesn’t see yet?

JR: People usually notice the runs, the catches, the big moments — but the real work happens far away from all that. Small technical details, yes, but more than that, the mental shift. Learning to forgive mistakes quickly, staying present, and not letting one moment spill into the next. That’s what gives me freedom on the field.

ELLE: When you look back at your career years from now, how do you hope the game remembers you? 

JR: I want people to remember me for the runs I've scored, the catches I've taken, the matches I've won for India, 100%. But I really, really want them to remember me for the person I am.

 
ELLE: If this interview becomes a time capsule, and someone reads it a decade from now, how would you like them to see Jemima?

JR: I hope they see me as someone well acquainted with her beliefs. Someone who wasn’t running after fame or trying to be perfect but was trying to use her voice in a way that made people feel a little lighter, a little happier. I hope they see a person who didn’t hide her struggles with pressure or anxiety, but also didn’t let those things define her. Someone who kept choosing peace over the need to please everyone. And more than anything, I hope they see someone who trusted her faith, enjoyed the journey, and still played with a sense of freedom that never faded.

Team Credits:

Editorial Director and words by: Ainee Nizami Ahmedi (@aineenizamiahmedi); Photographer: Harnoor Juneja (@harnoorjuneja); Videographer: Anurag George Ekka (@anurag_ekka); Asst. Art Director: Alekha Chugani (@alekhachuganii); Creative Director and Producer: Priyadarshini Patwa (@priyadarshinipatwa); Stylist: Amandeep Kaur (@amandeepkaur87); Set Design: Jangu Sethna (@artjayes) ; HMUA: Anuradha Raman (@mua_anuradharaman); Assisted by: Kareena Mishra (@_kareenagmishra)(styling), Eshita Mohan (@eshita0_0) (art); Executive Producer: Aanchal Jain (@aanchaljain12), Pruthav Mandora (@pruthavmandora); Production: Nafromax Productions (@nafromaxproductions); Location Courtesy: Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai (@tridentnarimanpoint)