Jemimah Rodrigues addresses allegations of religious conversion

Jemimah Rodrigues’ stunning unbeaten knock of 127 turned out to be a defining moment in Indian cricket, powering the Women in Blue to a record-breaking chase of 339 runs against Australia in the Women’s World Cup semi-final. India carried the momentum forward to clinch the World Cup title by defeating South Africa in the final. Jemimah’s journey to becoming the nation’s icon wasn’t easy, as she was surrounded by controversy.

Jemimah’s membership at Khar Gymkhana was cancelled in 2024 amid claims that her father, Ivan Rodrigues, held unauthorised religious gatherings at the club. Malhotra, a member of the managing committee, stated that Ivan was booking the Presidential Hall at lower rates with the help of Jemimah’s membership, with the events allegedly violating the Gymkhana’s laws, particularly Article 4

Jemimah has finally addressed the issue in a recent interview. I remember when that happened. It was one thing for me to face it, but when my parents were dragged into it for something we didn’t do, it really hurt. Everything we did at that time was according to the rules and regulations, and we had proof of that. The allegations against me and my family were hurtful, especially since we had done nothing wrong,” Jemimah told India Today.

“It all started right after the World Cup in Dubai, where we didn’t perform well. I personally fell short of my own expectations, and I was already feeling down. Then, out of nowhere, I started seeing negative news, receiving harsh messages, and hearing people say awful things about me and, worse, about my family and my church. It completely broke me. I vividly remember my brother calling me, and I just couldn’t hold back my emotions, and I started crying. I felt completely lost. It was like everything was falling apart – first my performance, and then these false accusations about my family.”

In response to the claims, Jemimah Rodrigues’ father, Ivan, firmly stated last year that the prayer meetings were conducted in line with Khar Gymkhana’s guidelines and were never intended for conversion purposes, as suggested by some media reports.

“In response to the recent misleading reports circulating in the media, we would like to clarify a few points. We have utilized the facilities at Khar Gymkhana for prayer meetings on several occasions over the past year, starting in April 2023. This was done in full adherence to the procedures set by Khar Gymkhana and with the complete knowledge and approval of the office bearers,” he stated.

“The prayer meetings were open to everyone and were never intended to be ‘conversion meetings,’ as incorrectly portrayed in some media reports. When we were asked to discontinue the meetings, we fully respected the Gymkhana’s decision and stopped immediately.”