Beyond runs and records, a cricketer building a life that fits her game and her heart.
Mumbai: India may know Jemimah Rodrigues today as the smiling assassin of the middle order – the batter who can turn a chase on its head and walk off as if nothing extraordinary has happened. But away from the glare of the floodlights and the noise of packed stadiums, she is quietly building something just as impressive: a life that is ruthlessly professional, emotionally honest and surprisingly simple.
This is not just a story of a cricketer. It is the portrait of a 25-year-old who has learned how to protect her peace, guard her craft and still leave enough room for music, food, faith and a little dog called Jade.
A New Address, A Different Mindset
For most Mumbaikars, moving out of Bandra to Navi Mumbai sounds like a downgrade in glamour. For Jemimah Rodrigues, it was the clearest sign that her priorities had shifted.
After growing up and training in Bandra, she chose to buy her first home in Vashi – not to add a luxury pin on her map, but to build a base that works for her game. Vashi’s planned neighbourhoods, relatively lighter traffic and quieter surroundings offer what Bandra simply could not: predictable commutes to training, easier access to quality practice facilities and the kind of silence that lets an athlete recover between long, draining tours.
Her new home reflects that intention. There is a dedicated fitness corner, space for mobility work and strength training, and a layout designed around routine rather than parties. It is less “influencer apartment” and more “high-performance camp” – except this one belongs entirely to her.
The move says something important: Jemimah is not decorating a lifestyle, she is engineering conditions for a long career.
Cool-Girl Energy Without the Drama
Scroll through her photos and you won’t find overstyled red-carpet costumes or carefully staged editorial shoots. Jemimah’s off-field look is disarmingly straightforward – and that is exactly why it works.
Her wardrobe leans heavily on pieces that actually move with her: oversized shirts, easy trousers, T-shirt dresses, soft jackets and the one thing she seems genuinely loyal to – clean white sneakers. The colours are muted more often than not: whites, beiges, tans, denims. It is the aesthetic of someone who wants to be ready to leave for the nets in ten minutes, but who still likes to look like she thought about what she wore.
There is a hint of tomboy in the way she dresses, but never in a forced, “look-at-me-I’m-different” way. It is closer to an athlete’s uniform: one that lets her blend in when she wants to, but also reveals a quiet confidence in her own skin.
On the rare occasions she turns up in a bronze sari or a black sequinned dress, the transformation is striking precisely because nothing else changes – the makeup is minimal, the hair usually open in a side part, the overall effect still recognisably her. It feels less like a character and more like a different chapter of the same person.
Jewellery, too, stays in character. She gravitates towards light, delicate pieces – especially in platinum tones – that can sit comfortably with training gear or formal wear without screaming for attention. Fashion, for her, isn’t a costume. It’s an extension of a personality that prefers ease over noise.
The Rockstar with a Bat and a Guitar
Most fans first noticed Jemimah with a bat in hand. Over time, another image has become just as familiar: Jemimah with a guitar across her lap, singing into a small mic or a phone camera.
Music, for her, is not a PR accessory. It is a genuine second language. She sings pop, she sings worship songs, she sings whatever matches the season she is in. The videos that go viral are fun to watch, but behind the clips is a ritual that keeps her grounded.
For an international cricketer constantly moving between airports, hotels and dressing rooms, music is a portable home. A guitar in a corner of her room is both a reward and a refuge – a way to exhale after a day that has been packed with scrutiny and expectation.
In an era where athletes are finally speaking openly about stress and burnout, her “rockstar” tag is less about the Instagram clips and more about the fact that she has found a creative outlet that doesn’t depend on applause to be meaningful.
Anxiety, Faith and the People Who Stayed
The glow of World Cup celebrations can easily hide how much turmoil precedes those perfect images. Jemimah herself has chosen not to hide it.
In recent interviews she spoke bluntly about the weeks before her match-winning World Cup knock – about waking up with anxiety, about crying before games, about feeling numb after early failures in the tournament. It is not the sort of confession athletes of an earlier generation would have made. She did it anyway.
What pulled her out was not a single inspirational quote, but a web of support that she keeps returning to. There is her faith – evenings with a Bible and a quiet prayer, the kind of stillness that brings a different kind of courage. There is family, who saw the worst days from close range and refused to flinch. There are teammates and friends who sat beside her without demanding that she “toughen up”.
On the field, that support system becomes literal. During India’s tense chase against Australia, Deepti Sharma did more than rotate the strike. She talked, encouraged, absorbed pressure and, in Jemimah’s own words, was willing to do whatever was required to keep her going. The performance looked like an individual masterclass. The reality, as Jemimah tells it, was deeply collective.
That willingness to show the cracks without losing her edge is a big part of why younger fans relate to her. She is proof that you can be both vulnerable and elite.
Food, Comfort and Little Celebrations
For a professional athlete, food is usually framed as calculation – proteins, carbs, recovery meals. Jemimah’s diet is disciplined, but her relationship with food still feels human.
On normal days, the plan is strict: structured meals, hydration, careful timing. But when there is reason to celebrate, she unapologetically turns to joy on a plate. Nutella pancakes, a good batch of chicken wings, a craving that changes with mood – those are her chosen rewards after landmark performances.
And then there is home. However far she travels, her tastebuds keep circling back to Mumbai. Shawarmas from Carter Road, rich mutton biryani, indulgent butter chicken – these are not just dishes, they are memories anchored in specific corners of a city that raised her.
It is a useful reminder: even the most finely tuned sporting body belongs to a person who sometimes just wants comfort food from around the corner.
Jade Joy Rodrigues: Happiness on Four Legs
The third fixed presence in her life, apart from cricket and music, now has a name and a wagging tail: Jade Joy Rodrigues.
The puppy who often appears in her stories is more than a cute prop. For someone who spends so much time in high-adrenaline environments, coming home to a creature that has no idea about scores, averages or social media trends is a quiet blessing.
Walks, playtime and lazy afternoons with Jade are woven into her routine. In a world that demands constant output, this little “house manager”, as she jokingly calls her, gives Jemimah permission to simply be.
A Different Kind of Role Model
From Bhandup to Bandra and now Vashi, Jemimah Rodrigues has travelled more than just physical distance. She has inched steadily from promising teenager to international mainstay, from social-media favourite to serious leader in the women’s game.
What makes her stand out today is not just what happens in the middle overs. It is the way she has pieced together a life around the sport: a home chosen for training, a wardrobe that allows her to exhale, a guitar that absorbs the noise, a faith that steadies her, food that keeps her connected to her roots and a dog that doesn’t care how many runs she scored.
In a country that often demands its sporting heroes to be invincible, Jemimah offers a different template – one where strength includes softness, and success is measured not only in trophies but in how well you learn to live with yourself.
On the scorecard she will be recorded as a middle-order batter, a reliable fielder, a match-winner. Off it, she is quietly becoming something else: a picture of what a balanced, modern athlete can look like.
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