Jemimah Rodrigues pulls out of remainder of WBBL 2025-26 to stay with Smriti Mandhana
(Courtesy : Jemimah Rodrigues / Instagram)
Jemimah Rodrigues will stay in India to support Smriti Mandhana whose wedding was postponed due to her father’s health issues.
Indian Women Cricket Team batter Jemimah Rodrigues will miss the rest of Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) 2025-26 to stay in India with her teammate and close friend Smriti Mandhana amid her tough times. After featuring in three games for Brisbane Heat in the tournament, Jemimah returned to India to attend Mandhana’s wedding as a pre-arranged commitment with the franchise.
The Indian opener’s wedding was scheduled to take place on November 23. Unfortunately, her wedding was postponed at the last moment after her father suffered heart attack. As a result, Jemimah decided to stay back in India to support her close friend Mandhana in her tough time.
Jemimah played three games against Melbourne Renegades, Perth Scorchers, and Hobart Hurricanes in WBBL 2025-26, where she struggled to go big, scoring 6, 11, and 20.
Brisbane Heat CEO confirms Jemimah Rodrigues will miss the rest of WBBL 2025-26
Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, Brisbane Heat CEO Terry Svenson showed sympathy towards Jemimah during her challenging time and confirmed that she will not take any further part in WBBL.
“It has obviously been a challenging time for Jemi, so while it is unfortunate that she will take no further part in the WBBL, we were more than willing to agree to her request to remain in India. The Heat club obviously wish her and Smriti Mandhana’s family all the best for the future,” he said.
“Jemi told us she was disappointed not to be coming back and has passed on her appreciation to the club and the Heat fans for being so understanding of the circumstances. She has been in touch with the players and wished them all the best for the rest of their games,” he added.
Meanwhile, Brisbane Heat will witness the return of all-rounder Grace Harris for the match against Sydney Sixers on November 28. Harris will replace seamer Lily Bassingthwaighte, who missed her last game due to workload management.
Earlier this month, both Rodrigues and Mandhana were part of Indian side that won ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025. The Women in Blue crushed South Africa in the final to win their first-ever ICC trophy. Jemimah scored a match-winning century in the crucial semi-final against Australia, helping the team to chase a mammoth 339-run target and book a berth in the final.
Jemimah Rodriques is part of which team in WBBL 2025-26?
Jemimah Rodriques is part of Brisbane Heat in Women’s Big Bash League 2025-26.
Why was Smriti Mandhana’s wedding postponed?
Smriti Mandhana’s wedding was scheduled for November 23 but was postponed due to her father’s illness.
Who won ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025?
India Women won ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 by defeating South Africa in the final.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.