'I broke down, told my dad I need break from cricket' - Jemimah Rodrigues recalls difficult times after WC 2022 snub

The year 2022 was quite a rollercoaster for Indian batter Jemimah Rodrigues. After a streak of poor performances, she missed out on the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2022 in New Zealand. At the marquee event, India, under the leadership of Mithali Raj, finished fifth on the points table and failed to qualify for the knockout stages.

But Jemimah kept working hard and put up some amazing performances at the league tournaments like the Women’s Big Bash League and The Hundred. Jemimah was brought back to the team after India's disappointing performance in the World Cup for the T20I and ODI series against Sri Lanka. After some impressive performances, she earned a place in India’s squad for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022, where India won the silver medal after losing to Australia in the finals.

Jemimah discussed the phase and her difficulties accepting the fact that she was dropped from the Indian team, during an interview with former India coach WV Raman on his talk show Wednesdays with WV. She revealed that she had to take a break from cricket as all the happenings had been affecting her mental health.

“There were days, especially in this last year when I was dropped from the team I don't think I would have been able to make it without them (family). When I was dropped from the ODI World Cup and I was going through a very bad phase. I was not Jem at home and they knew it. I was trying to fake it for them, I was trying to be happy, show everything is good on the outside but on the inside I was hurting,” Jemimah said on the show.

“Cricket is something I love the most, playing in World Cup is a dream and both those things didn't happen. For weeks I couldn't sleep well at home, I was getting dreadful dreams and waking up suddenly in the middle of the night. One day I remember my mom and dad we sat down at home all three of us were trying to be happy for each other just so that we could be strong for each other,” she added.

I took a break then and just spent time with the family: Rodrigues

Jemimah spoke in depth about how opening up to her parents helped her settle mentally, and how her father was affected after knowing what his daughter had been going through in her life. Jemimah revealed that she saw her father cry, and her mother too broke down when they started discussing the matter. But the entire family being together at that point in time is what helped her heal.

“Then I broke down and I told my dad that I think I need to take a break from cricket for a few days. My dad started crying, my dad never cries. He's like for me to go through something is fine but when I see my own daughter going through something, it's 10,000 times worse. And then my mom broke down completely. She is like it's so hard for me to be strong for the two people I love the most. And we all started crying and I think that was the moment when the healing started. I took a break then and just spent time with the family,” Jemimah explained.

In the Women's Asia Cup 2022, which was contested a few months ago in Bangladesh, Jemimah performed admirably. After 8 matches, she had amassed 217 runs, becoming the tournament's top run-scorer. Thanks to her heroics with the bat, India lifted the trophy for a record seventh time. She will now feature in the tri-series against South Africa and West Indies.

The Indian side will continue to be in South Africa in preparations for the Women’s T20 World Cup, which begins on February 10, 2023. BCCI announced Team India’s squad for the tri-series and the World Cup on Wednesday, December 28. Harmanpreet Kaur will be leading the side with Smriti Mandhana as her deputy.