Team India batsman Jemimah Rodrigues has spoken for the first time about the emotional impact the Khar Gymkhana controversy had on her and her family. Rodriguez said she could handle the criticism leveled at her, but said her parents and her church were dragged into unfounded allegations.
Jemimah Rodrigues was part of India’s Women’s World Cup 2025 campaign. He started the tournament with two wickets against Sri Lanka and South Africa, but bounced back with a half-century against New Zealand. He scored unbeaten 127 runs with the help of 14 fours in 134 balls in the semi-final against Australia.
Jemimah Rodrigues suspended from Khar Gymkhana after controversy
India had to go through a tough phase in women’s cricket after being eliminated from the group stage of the Women’s T20 World Cup last year. They started the tournament with a loss to New Zealand, bounced back with wins over Pakistan and Sri Lanka, but their campaign ended after a loss to Australia.
Following India’s World Cup exit, Jemimah Rodrigues and her family became the center of a controversy, including allegations against her father, which sparked widespread reaction and led to her Khar Gymkhana membership being temporarily suspended.
Jemima’s father, Ivan Rodriguez, reportedly hosted several meetings associated with Brother Manuel Ministries over an 18-month period. These religious practices were seen as violating the club’s ban on political or religious activities.
The allegations made against me and my family really affected us deeply – Jemimah Rodrigues
Jemimah Rodrigues described this incident as one of the most difficult periods of her life. He said that his family has followed every rule and they also have proof. However, he said he was deeply troubled by the allegations because he knew he had done nothing wrong.
Jemima said on India Today, “Sir, to be honest, I remember when that happened. It was one thing for me to face it, but when my parents were dragged for something that we did not do, it was really hurtful.”
He said, “Everything we did at the time was in accordance with the rules and regulations – and we had proof of that. But the allegations made against me and my family really affected us deeply because we had done nothing wrong.”
My brother called me and I started crying – Jemimah Rodriguez
Jemima said the controversy comes after a disappointing World Cup campaign. The batsman recalled that she broke down while talking on the phone with her brother due to the pressure of poor form and mounting allegations one after the other.
Jemima further added, “This happened right after the World Cup in Dubai, where we did not perform well. I personally had not performed up to my expectations and was already feeling depressed.”
“Then suddenly, I started seeing news, messages and people saying horrible things about me – and worse, about my family and my church. It broke me. I remember my brother called me, and I started crying. I didn’t know what to do. It felt like one blow after another – first my exposure, and then the false allegations about my family.”
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