During India's historic run in the Women's ODI World Cup last year, star batter Jemimah Rodrigues played the innings of a lifetime in the semifinal against Australia. Her magnificent, unbeaten 127 in Navi Mumbai not only dismantled the world-dominating Australians but also paved the way for India to secure their maiden Women's ODI World Cup title.
However, the sheer magnitude of the performance and the overwhelming wave of attention that followed left the young batter feeling deeply emotional and distracted.
He reminded me that the job was not over yet: Jemimah recalls Tendulkar's message
In the midst of this whirlwind, a timely phone call from legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar proved to be the turning point for Rodrigues. Reflecting on the memorable knock, she revealed that Tendulkar provided invaluable advice and guidance during their conversation. His mentorship helped her process the gravity of the achievement, stay grounded, and successfully regain her focus for the challenges ahead.
"Sachin sir called my coach Prashant Shetty. He asked him to tell me that he understood the past couple of days had been a lot for me, the big knock against Australia in the semifinal, the joy of beating them. But he reminded me that the job was not over yet. We still had a final to win. He said, 'try to put that aside and start from zero'. That message really helped me reset my mind. I understood that what you did before does not win you the next game. You must treat every match as a new start. That advice from a legend gave me so much clarity before the final," Rodrigues told JioHotstar.
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India's triumph in the final against South Africa was anchored by a stellar all-round display from opener Shafali Verma. Her brilliant 87-run knock, paired with a crucial bowling spell of 2/36, proved to be the defining factor in securing the championship title for her team. Following the victory, Verma shared that her match-winning confidence stemmed from a deeply personal source. A motivational pep talk from her father just before the game played a pivotal role in easing her nerves, boosting her morale, and inspiring her to deliver under the immense pressure of the grand finale.
With the ODI crown safely in their possession, the reigning world champions are already shifting their focus to the shortest format. India is set to kick off their Women's T20 World Cup campaign this Sunday at Edgbaston in Birmingham, where they will face off against arch-rivals Pakistan in a highly anticipated opening clash.
India’s squad for Women’s T20 World Cup 2026:
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (WK), Sree Charani, Yastika Bhatia (WK), Nandni Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav