On a humid Navi Mumbai evening, when Jemimah Rodrigues sank to her knees after guiding India into the ICC Women’s World Cup final, it wasn’t just the emotion that overwhelmed her, it was relief. The smile on her face and the tears that followed were not just for the epic unbeaten 127 that she scored to knock out defending champions Australia, but for every silent battle she had fought in the weeks leading up to the marquee tournament.

Dropped from the last edition of the ODI World Cup, Jemimah worked tirelessly over the next three years to deservingly earn a call-up in the 2025 World Cup squad. But after a few inconsistent outings in this edition, she found herself benched again, a moment that spiralled into anxiety, self-doubt, fear of failure and sleepless nights.

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