Jemimah Rodrigues is an Indian batswoman who has made rapid strides in International cricket at a very young age. The ace cricketer was also a part of Maharashtra Under-17 hockey team. In an exclusive interview with FPJ, the player reflected on her cricketing journey so far.
Q. How would you like to describe your journey in cricket so far?
I think it has been a challenging journey but at the same time, everyone has to struggle, go through hardships, ups and downs to succeed. My struggle began when I started playing cricket. There were no nets for me, a girl to practice. The coaches wouldn’t allow me, the boys wouldn’t allow me saying you are a little girl, how will you play with boys. I always played with the boys, then I featured for the state team. Every season, every day, every match has taught me something. As a cricketer it is all about learning everyday. Even Sachin Sir said that he is learning new things about the game everyday and if he is still learning then you can imagine how much we need to learn. Moreover, I think if I wouldn’t have been subjected to these challenges then surely I wouldn’t have become what I am today, they brought the best out of me.
Q. What are your plans for the future?
Honestly, I don’t have a lot of future plans. There are certain things which I want to achieve but I won’t go in detail as nobody knows what’s going to happen in the future. Everyday, life throws something different at you. For now, I just want to be the best version of myself. I want to work hard everyday and become the best batter and keep improving.
Q. What is your daily routine?
I wake up early in the morning and go for practice around 8:30 AM, then I come back to relax a bit. In the evening I do my gym session. I do running and strength training on alternate days. I attend church whenever I can and I love playing the guitar.
Q. Since so many women look up to you for inspiration, who are the women that you look up to?
Best example would definitely be my mom. She has always been someone I aspire to be. I wonder how can someone have so much selfless love to offer, how can someone sacrifice so much. She does things which I might not ever be able to do. She just loves me so much. I aspire to be the selfless person she is.
Q. How do you celebrate and empower the women in your life?
I think it’s really nice for me to have women around me who are very considerate. I mean I don’t have anything against men but it is just easier to share stuff with another woman. Plus it is great to see so many women around me breaking stereotypes. It is a male dominated world and women are fighting through it which is really inspiring to see. Irrespective of the gender, seeing people fight through social barriers in order to achieve what they want is really heartening. From people working at home to the athletes, everyone needs to be celebrated.
Q. What would you like to say to the women readers on International Women’s Day?
First of all I would like to wish everyone a very happy women’s day and we are proud of each and every woman. Nobody knows what each woman has been through, what she has faced but despite all the challenges, she keeps fighting and comes out stronger than ever. I think every woman needs to be celebrated and we are proud of each one of you.
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