Chelmsford [UK], May 29 (ANI): Star India Women's cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues opened up on the mental struggles that she faced during the 2025 Women's ODI World Cup, saying that she was 'broken inside' after getting dropped from India's group-stage game against England.

Rodrigues played a Player of the Match-winning hand in India's win over England in the first T20I of their three-match away series against England Women on Thursday. Jemimah Rodrigues' 40-ball 69 helped India post 188/7 in 20 overs while batting first, a score that proved too much for the hosts to surmount as the Smriti Mandhana-led side clinched a 38-run victory to gain a 1-0 lead.

Speaking on JioStar, Rodrigues said she was deeply hurt after being dropped for India's match against England during the 2025 Women's World Cup campaign. After struggling initially, she said she regained confidence with a quick 33 against Australia and was determined to help the team win the must-win England game. However, just before the match, she was informed by coach Amol Muzumdar that she would not be playing, which left her emotionally 'broken'.

'I kept wondering, 'What is happening? Why is this happening?' Then came the league game against Australia, where I scored an impactful 33-odd at a good strike rate. That gave me some confidence, and I told myself, 'Okay, fine. The England game is very important. Let's do whatever it takes to win against England',' she said.

'I really wanted to do it for the team because the World Cup was at stake, and we had already lost two games in a row. That game was crucial. Amol sir messaged me saying, 'I need to talk to you.' Then, at the ground, I was told that I had been dropped from the team for that game. I was broken inside,' she added.

Notably, Jemimah Rodrigues played a key role in India's maiden World Cup triumph, finishing as the team's third-highest run-scorer with 292 runs from seven innings.

Rodrigues further revealed that she struggled mentally even before the 2025 Women's World Cup began, largely due to the pressure and expectations of playing a home World Cup. She said that getting out for a first-ball duck in the opening match against Sri Lanka shattered her confidence, and the stress started affecting her fielding as well, leading to mistakes she normally would not make.

'For some reason, even before the World Cup started, I was not doing well mentally. Maybe it was because it was a home World Cup, and with the expectations that come with it. And it being a World Cup, the pressure doubles. In the very first match, I got out for a duck off the first ball itself. That really broke me, it crushed me. The worst part was that it started affecting my fielding as well. I am someone who enjoys fielding, but I was putting so much pressure on myself that I wasn't able to move the way I normally do. I made a few misfields, which I usually wouldn't,' the 25-year-old said.

India Women will next be in action against England in the second T20I at Bristol on Saturday and will look to take an unassailable 2-0 lead. (ANI)