Setbacks will make you stronger, better: Jemimah Rodrigues
Jemimah Rodrigues, 22 and a frontline batter for the Indian cricket team, on humility and how to handle success at a young age

Q. You debuted for the national team at 17, and at 22, have played and scored runs all over the world. When someone has success at such a young age, how does s/he stay rooted to the ground?
It’s a journey. There was a point no one followed women’s cricket, but now it’s in the limelight. But I always go back to what my mum and dad taught me when I was young, that it’s not me, but a multitude of factors and people around me who have helped me achieve whatever success I’ve had. At the same time, I know there’s a lot more to achieve, both for women’s cricket in India as well as for me personally. We still have to win many more World Cups. The journey has just begun.
Q. Playing international sports is as much about the body as about the mind. How do you build mental resilience?
Life makes you mentally resilient. I’ve had a lot of highs but an equal number of lows. Credit goes to those low moments that make you so strong. You become stronger after every fall. I once listened to a podcast where someone said, “Maturity isn’t someone who never falls or makes a mistake. Maturity is someone who knows how to pick themselves up after a fall."
I was dropped from the ODI World Cup team earlier last year. It was an eye-opener for me. It changed the way I practised. I put myself in challenging situations during my practice. For example, I started batting on difficult pitches, where the pitch was damp or the ball was turning square. When you do well under such difficult conditions, it gives you the confidence to do well in international matches, where the wickets were better. If I hadn’t been dropped, I wouldn’t have done that. That setback made me stronger and better. When you have that approach, you will find ways of getting out of tough situations. When your back is against the wall, you go back to the basics and prepare really hard. It’s during these times that the focus also changes—you realise the result is not in your hands but preparing well is.
Also, I surrounded myself with the right people that helped me stay sane. There were times I felt low and dejected. At those times, it’s nice to know you have friends and family who believe in you.
Q. You’ve played under a few captains till now. What are some of the leadership lessons that you’ve learnt from them?
All the captains that I’ve played under are unique in their own ways. Mithali Raj is very calm, Harmanpreet Kaur is exactly the opposite—she’s aggressive, and she gets the best results when she is so. Smriti Mandhana has a bit of both. If there is one thing I’ve learnt from all of them is that everyone has their own style of leadership. When you back that, you get the best results. Often, there is a tendency that if we see a really good leader, we tend to follow them and repeat their methods. But that shouldn’t be the case. If you’ve been given the role of a leader, do what you do best. Find that style of yours and bring it to the table.
First Published: Jan 21, 2023, 06:26
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