Women's World Cup: Virat Kohli lauds Jemimah Rodrigues for 'standout' knock in IND-W vs AUS-W semi-final
The performance displayed by India Women at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai was nothing short of historic. To defeat the defending champions in the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 semi-final, Harmanpreet Kaur and her team had to pull off the highest successful run chase in the format. With Australia's unbeaten streak in the marquee tournament since 2017 and a mammoth total on the board, India Women needed something special to win the IND-W vs AUS-W semi-final. However, as it turned out, the hosts were in perfect rhythm to produce a moment for the ages, with Jemimah Rodrigues headlining the chase. Rodrigues' impeccable knock prompted Virat Kohli to applaud the effort and praise the entire team for the win.
Virat Kohli hails India Women and Jemimah Rodrigues for the sensational win in the IND-W vs AUS-W semi-final
Jemimah Rodrigues produced an innings of such class in the Women's World Cup 2025 semi-final that it drew admiration from Virat Kohli himself. The former India captain hailed the 25-year-old’s brilliance after her match-winning effort helped India topple seven-time champions Australia at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Thursday. Jemimah crafted an unbeaten 127 off 134 balls, guiding India Women to a record-breaking chase of 339, the highest successful run-chase in the history of women's ODIs. The hosts sealed the victory in the IND-W vs AUS-W semi-final with five wickets in hand and nine balls remaining.
On Friday, Virat Kohli took to X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate India’s achievement, praising Harmanpreet Kaur and her team for delivering under pressure. Furthermore, the modern-day Indian legend singled out Jemimah Rodrigues, terming her unbeaten knock as a “standout performance.”
“What a victory by our team over a mighty opponent like Australia. A great chase by the girls and a standout performance by Jemimah in a big game. A true display of resilience, belief, and passion. Well done, Team India,” Kohli wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
What a victory by our team over a mighty opponent like Australia. A great chase by the girls and a standout performance by Jemimah in a big game. A true display of resilience, belief, and passion. Well done, Team India! 🇮🇳
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) October 31, 2025
The significance of the win was enormous. Australia Women had remained unbeaten in ICC Women’s World Cup fixtures since the 2017 semi-final loss to India Women. Earlier in the current edition of the marquee tournament, Alyssa Healy and Co. had handed the hosts a defeat in the league stage by successfully chasing 331 in Vizag.
Heading into the IND-W vs AUS-W semi-final, expectations around India Women were understandably low. Harmanpreet Kaur and her side had endured a tough group stage, where they had slipped to three consecutive losses against South Africa, Australia, and England. However, a thumping win over New Zealand helped India qualify as the last semi-finalists of the Women's World Cup 2025 edition.
For Jemimah personally, the journey had been no less dramatic. A run of low scores at the start of the tournament saw her dropped for the match against England. She returned for the clash against New Zealand and found some momentum with a half-century. But her finest moment came on the biggest stage, where she delivered a sublime hundred to script a historic victory over Australia.
Her crucial 167-run partnership with captain Harmanpreet Kaur formed the backbone of India’s chase at the DY Patil Stadium. While the Indian skipper fell short of a century after scoring 89, Jemimah held firm and ensured India crossed the finish line. With that triumph, India Women booked a date with South Africa in the final, scheduled for Sunday, November 2.
