Kohli to Tendulkar: Cricket greats unite to hail Jemimah Rodrigues and Women in Blue after stunning win

Cricketing icons, including Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, and Ravichandran Ashwin hailed Jemimah Rodrigues and the Women in Blue after India’s record World Cup semi-final win against Australia.

By Pritha Chakraborty

Oct 31, 2025 16:46 IST

The Women in Blue pulled off a record-breaking win on Thursday night, beating Australia in a thrilling ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 semi-final at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Chasing a stiff 339-run target -the biggest ever in women’s ODI history, India scripted one of the greatest victories in the sport's history as they set up their date for the World Cup final.

The star of the show was undoubtedly Jemimah Rodrigues, who anchored the chase of India with an extraordinary unbeaten 127 off 134 balls. Her 167-run partnership with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who made 89 off 88 balls, turned the match around after a shaky start. Australia, who opted to bat first, managed 338 in 49.5 overs, but India's response was marked by composure, courage, and willpower.

As the country celebrated in jubilation, cricketing legends and current stars of the Men in Blue hailed the historic win, flooding social media with tributes for the team and its star batter.

Also Read | 'Jemimah's handbook to silencing critics': Rodrigues lets her bat do the talking in ICC World Cup semis, netizens change 'stance'

Kohli's special shoutout for Jemima

Virat Kohli led the praise in his X (formerly Twitter) writing, "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!”

Tendulkar applauds the stars of the night

Indian Cricket's Master blaster, Sachin Tendulkar also joined in, saying, "Fabulous victory! Well done @JemiRodrigues and @ImHarmanpreet for leading from the front. Shree Charani and @Deepti_Sharma06, you kept the game alive with the ball. Keep the tricolour flying high. "

Shubman Gill lauds team's grit

Men's Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill hailed the win, posting: "Absolute grit, and terrific efforts by the #WomenInBlue! What a win! An innings to remember from #ICCWomensWorldCup2025.”

Also Read | IND vs AUS Women's World Cup: India breaks Perry-Litchfield momentum, eyes on final spot

Pant calls it a match of ‘heart, fight and belief’

Rishabh Pant wrote on X, “A match full of heart, fight and belief. Congratulations to our Indian women’s team for making it to the finals.”

Ashwin hails the team as 'inspirational'

Former international and senior spinner Ravichandran Ashwin hailed the remarkable comeback, adding that the team’s “fine” performance was an inspiration to many.

Shami applauds team's historic chase

Right-arm pacer Mohammed Shami exclaimed in admiration, writing, “What a team performance! Every player showed heart, hunger, and belief. Chasing 339 in a World Cup semifinal - simply outstanding! Congratulations Team India for creating history and entering the Final!”

Also Read | Who is Phoebe Litchfield? Australia’s young batting prodigy making major strides ahead of the World Cup

Speaking at the post-match presentation after being named the Player of the Match, Jemimah Rodrigues stated, “The last six months have been really tough for me, and I’m grateful to my parents and everyone who stood by me. I only found out five minutes before that I’d be batting at number three. It wasn’t about proving myself today; it was about taking India home….I wasn’t thinking about milestones, only about winning for India.”

India will now face South Africa in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 final on Sunday, November 2.

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