Indian cricket star Jemimah Rodrigues has confirmed that she will not go back to Australia for the remainder of the Women's Big Bash League 2025. The World Cup winning cricketer will instead stay in India to support her teammate Smriti Mandhana.
Rodrigues' WBBL team Brisbane Heat confirmed the development on Thursday. Brisbane Heat CEO Terry Svenson said that while the team is disappointed that fans would not see more of Rodrigues playing, the decision was made with her best interests at heart.
“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,” 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,” Svenson added.
“The Heat club obviously wish her and Smriti Mandhana’s family all the best for the future,” he further noted.
Notably, the Brisbane Heat haven't had the best of the Big Bash League this year, losing six of their 11 matches so far. The franchise will be searching for a streak of wins if they want to find a berth in the qualifier stage of the tournament.
Smriti Mandhana's wedding postponed
Mandhana was set to marry singer Palash Muchhal, and Rodrigues along with several other members of the national team were present in Sangli, Mandhana's hometown, for the festivities.
However, the festivities were halted on 23 November as it was revealed that Mandhana's father, Shrinivas Mandhana, had fallen ill and was hospitalised. While the senior Mandhana is now out of the hospital, things took another complicated turn as Muchhal was hospitalised due to flu and acidity symptoms.
Subsequently, the wedding has been postponed by the families until further notice.
Palash Muchhal's cheating rumours
Meanwhile, rumours have surfaced online about Palash Muchhal allegedly cheating on Smriti Mandhana. Screenshots shared on Reddit and Instagram claim to show Palash chatting privately with a woman named Mary D’Costa.
The alleged chats appear flirty, with claims that he invited her for a swim, a spa outing and even an early morning walk at Versova beach. In these messages, he allegedly complained that his long distance relationship with Smriti “literally s*cks”.
