Jemimah Rodrigues recently shared a hilarious story involving Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma, and Smriti Mandhana during her appearance on The Bombay Journey by Mashable India. The Indian women’s cricket star revealed how the celebrity couple, along with her and Mandhana, were once asked to leave a café in New Zealand because their conversation carried on for too long.
Rodrigues recalled that what started as a casual chat with Kohli about batting soon turned into an extended conversation that lasted for over four hours. “Anushka was also there. First half an hour we talked about cricket. He actually told Smriti and me that ‘you both have the power to change women’s cricket, and I can see that happening. Then we spoke about life. It felt like a few long-lost friends who met and spoke. The only reason we stopped was because the café staff kicked us out,” Jemimah said, joking about how the staff had to intervene to end their marathon discussion.
According to her, the conversation began after she and Smriti approached Virat for advice and later invited him to join them at a café inside their team hotel in New Zealand. What followed was a heartwarming chat filled with cricket insights and life talks that simply ran on longer than expected, much to the amusement of everyone involved.
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About Virat and Anushka Bond
Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, who tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in Italy in December 2017, are known for keeping their personal life away from the limelight. Their relationship began around 2013 after they met on the sets of a television commercial. The couple welcomed their daughter Vamika in January 2021, and later their son Akaay in February 2024. Following Akaay’s birth, the family is believed to have moved their base to London, where they continue to maintain a strict no-photo policy for their children.
Jemi Eyes ODI WC
The young batter was recently on tour in England and will now shift focus to India’s upcoming home series against Australia, which will serve as preparation ahead of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025. Rodrigues will look to fine-tune her form as Harmanpreet Kaur’s India begin their World Cup campaign against co-hosts Sri Lanka at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.
Rodrigues’ lighthearted recollection of being “kicked out” of a café with Kohli, Anushka, and Mandhana highlights the camaraderie and mutual respect between India’s men’s and women’s teams, showing a softer, friendlier side of cricket’s biggest stars.
India squad for World Cup: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Yastika Bhatia, Renuka Singh Thakur, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sree Charani, Radha Yadav, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud.