Jemimah Rodrigues faces communal online abuse following WPL 2026 final
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Journalist Rajdeep Sardesai highlighted an online hate campaign against Delhi Capitals captain Jemimah Rodrigues following the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 final in an X post.
Sardesai shared his message by reposting content from an X account called Jaipur Dialogues.
The Jaipur Dialogues post claimed that “Jesus did not help Jemimah win the Women’s Premier League final,” and that Smriti Mandhana won the title with the help of Tirupati Balaji.
This was widely criticised as communal and offensive.
Rajdeep Sardesai began his X post by saying he had something “terrible” to share while quoting that content. He described the posters as people who enjoy state protection and are “destroying the social fabric of the country.”
Sardesai also noted that Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues are close friends, and that Jemimah has stood by Mandhana through “good times and bad times.”
In the WPL 2026 final, Smriti Mandhana’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Jemimah Rodrigues’ Delhi Capitals to win the title. RCB successfully chased a target of 204 runs and won by six wickets.
Mandhana scored 87 runs off 41 balls and was named Player of the Match, while her teammate Georgia Voll added 79. RCB’s chase was anchored by a record 165-run partnership between Mandhana and Voll.
Batting first, Delhi posted 203 for 4 in 20 overs, with Jemimah Rodrigues top-scoring with 57 off 37 balls and Laura Wolvaardt contributing 44 not out off 25. Chinelle Henry remained unbeaten on 35 off 15 balls.
RCB lost Grace Harris early for 9 runs while chasing, but Mandhana and Voll came together and steadied the innings, guiding their side to a historic win with two balls to spare.