In an innings that will be etched in the annals of Indian cricket history, Jemimah Rodrigues — batting at No.3 — guided India to a sensational five-wicket victory over Australia in the semifinal of the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Thursday.

Chasing a mammoth 339, Jemimah crafted a magnificent 127 off 134 balls, securing India’s place in the final.

Speaking to the broadcaster about her incredible knock, Jemimah was overwhelmed with emotion, dedicating the win to those who supported her.

“But I didn’t think about me. It was not for me to prove a point. It was just about winning it for India. I just wanted to be there till the end to take us through,” she said.

Jemimah revealed she wasn’t aware about batting at number three until a few minutes before India’s chase. Despite that, her motivation was clear and selfless. “I actually didn’t know. I was taking a shower and told the team to let me know. I think five minutes before entering, I got to know I’m batting at three,” she said.

This fierce determination was evident in her century celebration, or rather, her non-celebration.

“Yeah, today was not about my 50 or my 100, it was about making India win,” she said.

The 25-year-old batter also candidly spoke about the challenges leading up to this defining moment. “Last edition, I was dropped from the World Cup squad. This year I came, and I thought ‘Okay, I’ll try and I was in good form’. But things kept happening, and I couldn’t control anything,” she reflected.

She opened up about the emotional turmoil she faced, saying, “I’ve almost cried every day throughout this tour. I was not doing well mentally and going through a lot of anxiety.

Then being dropped (against England) was another challenge for me, but I think all I had to do was show up.”

Throughout the pressure-cooker innings, Jemimah constantly motivated herself. When fatigue set in, she turned to her faith. “Towards the end, I was just recalling one scripture from the Bible because I had lost energy,” she shared.

Finally, she expressed her deep gratitude for the supporters at her home ground. “Mumbai’s always been special for me, and I couldn’t ask for anything better. I would like to thank each and every member who chanted, who shouted.

It pumped me up, so thank you to everyone.”