Suniel Shetty, a veteran Bollywood actor, sent a poignant message to India Women’s cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues after she elected to forego the current Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) season to support her close friend and teammate Smriti Mandhana during a difficult period.
Last week, the wedding of Mandhana was cancelled when her father was admitted to hospital due to heart related issues. Brisbane heat, the WBBL franchise of Jemimah, said that the player had requested to stay in India to visit her friend on Thursday. In social media, Shetty was pleased by the act and wrote that it was the purest form of friendship.
“Bumped into this article first thing in the morning and my heart felt full. Jemimah leaving the WBBL to be by Smriti’s side. No big statements, just quiet solidarity. This is what real teammates do. Simple. Straight. Genuine,” Shetty wrote on X.
Check Suniel Shetty’s post to appreciate Smriti-Jemimah friendship here:
Bumped into this article first thing in the morning and my heart felt full.
Jemimah leaving the WBBL to be by Smriti’s side. No big statements, just quiet solidarity.
This is what real teammates do.
Simple. Straight. Genuine pic.twitter.com/dL04daGjSu
— Suniel Shetty (@SunielVShetty) November 28, 2025
Jemimah a few days prior to this visit back to India to be at the wedding of Mandhana and she was preparing to go back to Australia to resume her duty with the WBBL in Brisbane Heat. The franchise did concede that they had given her the release request. Jemimah is the best pick in the club in the category of International Player draft that was done earlier this year.
“The Brisbane Heat have agreed to a request to release Jemimah Rodrigues from the remainder of the Women’s Big Bash League. Rodrigues returned home to India after the Heat’s match against the Hobart Hurricanes 10 days ago as part of a pre-arranged commitment where she was to be involved in Indian teammate Smriti Mandhana’s wedding last weekend,” said Brisbane Heat in a statement.
“However, the celebrations were subsequently postponed due to a health issue with Mandhana’s father, Rodrigues will stay in India to support her teammate, and the Heat has agreed to her not returning for the final four games of the WBBL season,” it added.
Jemimah Rodrigues was instrumental in India’s first Women’s World Cup victory, striking an undefeated century in the semifinal against seven-time champions Australia, allowing India to chase down a difficult goal.
