India batter Jemimah Rodrigues shared that a phone call from Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar helped her refocus after her standout innings in the Women’s ODI World Cup semifinal against Australia last year.
Rodrigues scored an impressive unbeaten 127, leading India to victory over Australia in Navi Mumbai and aiming for the team’s first Women’s ODI World Cup title. Reflecting on this experience, she mentioned that Tendulkar’s guidance helped her stay grounded amid the excitement of her remarkable performance.
“Sachin sir called my coach Prashant Shetty. He asked him to tell me that he understood the past couple of days had been overwhelming, especially with my big knock against Australia in the semifinal and the joy of winning,” Rodrigues said in an interview.
“But he reminded me that the job wasn’t finished yet. We still had a final to win. He said, ‘try to put that aside and start from zero’. That message helped me reset my mind. I realized that what you did before doesn’t guarantee a win in the next game. Each match is a new start. That advice from a legend gave me clarity before the final,” she added.
My dad gave me extra fire: Shafali Verma
In the final against South Africa, Shafali Verma’s excellent all-round performance was key. She scored 87 runs and took 2/36, contributing significantly to India’s win. Shafali later revealed that a motivational message from her father boosted her confidence and helped her shine on the big stage.
The current ODI world champions are now getting ready for their opening match in the Women’s T20 World Cup, where they will face arch-rivals Pakistan at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Sunday.
“We had two off days before the final. My dad sent me a voice note saying, ‘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’. That voice note gave me extra motivation. I knew I had to perform not just for myself, but for him and the team. It pushed me to give my all on the field,” Shafali shared.