Love and care, Jemimah stands by traumatised Smriti Mandhana
Often, we have heard a casual statement like: “Don’t be an emotional fool." The purport of this statement is manifold, don’t worry too much about others, focus on your goals and self, even if you have to be greedy. In an age and time when the professional athletes’ focus on self, first, the decision of young star Jemimah Rodrigues to give up the remaining part of her contract in the Women’s Big Bash League with the Brisbane Heats is a fantastic gesture. For what reason Jemimah has taken this decisions wins the hearts of one and all, following the trauma which Smriti Mandhana faces after her lavish wedding in Sangli, Maharashtra, got postponed.
A bit about the context of what happened is important. The pre-wedding celebrations saw photos and videos of celebrations breaking internet. It was a riot of sorts as Smriti Mandhana’s teammates were celebrating, in anticipation of what was to have been her big day. What transpired is a bit dodgy but going by all posts on social media, it is clear all sympathy is with Smriti, her father, who was admitted in hospital, following a spike in his blood pressure which needed monitoring.
What happened a day before the wedding and the war on social media, where Palash Muchhal has been shredded for acts of indiscretion is well-known. Weighed from an emotional point of view for a girl, it is clear Smriti is undergoing a massive turmoil. The details of what she is facing does not need detailing. What stands out in this crisis is how young Jemimah has shown what friendship means, what it is to be a soulmate to a teammate in Team India which won the ICC World Cup (ODI) a few weeks ago. The celebrations from the DY Patil Stadium have refused to die down. Even now there are many images being replayed from that big win, even though the focus has shifted to the WPL – Women’s Premier League – auction.
For her part, Jemimah has shown that big bucks do not matter to her, which has to give up by not playing in the Big Bash League. Her team officials in Australia have also shown support to the girl as they appreciate the gesture from Jemimah. Friendship is deep, sometimes even more valuable than a blood relation or a sibling. Jemimah is not trying to prove a point, it is this kind of friendship which stands out in today’s world, where people think a professional athlete focusses only on self. There is character and a bundle of emotions in Jemimah, the young girl from Bandra, who wept at the DY Patil after her semi-final showing. Jemimah has faced troubled times as well and even her act of invoking Jesus came in for needless criticism.Never mind, today Jemimah comes across as more than a teammate. Her act of wanting to lend a shoulder, wipe tears of Smriti Mandhana and bring her back to normal will take time. For those who are still viewing the Jai/Veeru clips of Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra from Sholay, Jemimah and Smriti’s friendship is defining.
Perhaps, if there has been a parallel of sorts, it was in December 2022, when Rishabh Pant was involved in a high-speed car crash near Dehradun and escaped. Pant has been a brave young man, though to come for criticism from coach Gautam Gambhir two days back was in poor taste. Gambhir did not take the blame for the Test series loss to SA. He was, instead like that spoilt kid telling parents, ‘I did not fail, my teacher was harsh.’
Never mind, Pant has won hearts several times, for fighting death and also posting on Thursday an apology of sorts for the Indian team losing the Test series to South Africa. Pant has been accused of playing to the gallery by his coach, which is in poor taste. That was not the only reason why India lost. A coach who hides behind his success in white ball format and does not ponder over wipe-outs in Test cricket is myopic.
Yes, Pant got love and affection when he battled death from teammates in 2022 and also in 2025, when his injury in England was serious. Refreshing this, characters like Jemimah and Rishabh Pant coming across as human beings with a large heart.
