Mumbai
India batter Jemimah Rodrigues has revealed that a timely call from cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar helped her reset mentally after her career-defining knock against Australia in the semifinal of the Women’s ODI World Cup last year.
Rodrigues had played a sensational unbeaten innings of 127 in Navi Mumbai, guiding India to a famous victory over the tournament favourites and setting up their eventual maiden World Cup triumph. However, she admitted that the emotional high of the performance left her mentally overwhelmed ahead of the final.
Rodrigues said Tendulkar reached out indirectly through her coach Prashant Shetty to deliver a calming message. “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,” she said.
“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,” Rodrigues added.
The 25-year-old said the advice helped her realise the importance of treating every match as a fresh start, regardless of past achievements. “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,” she said.
India went on to defeat South Africa in the summit clash, with Shafali Verma delivering a match-winning all-round performance, scoring 87 runs and taking two wickets for 36 runs. Her efforts proved decisive as India lifted their maiden Women’s ODI World Cup title.
Shafali also revealed a personal source of motivation before the final, saying a voice note from her father inspired her to give her best. “He said, ‘Just work hard. Give your best on the field and it has to be in writing that Shafali Verma helped India win the World Cup,’” she said.
India, now reigning ODI world champions, are preparing for their upcoming T20 World Cup opener against arch-rivals Pakistan in Birmingham on Sunday, aiming to carry forward their winning momentum on the global stage.
