“Anushka Sharma was also there” - Team India star reveals fascinating chat with Virat Kohli ahead of 2025 World Cup

Ahead of the 2025 Women's World Cup, star India cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues revealed an interesting conversation she once had with Virat Kohli. The tournament is set to be held in India and Sri Lanka. Both teams will clash in the opening fixture on September 30.

Jemimah recalled meeting Virat Kohli along with his wife and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma during a New Zealand tour. She revealed what Kohli told her and Smriti Mandhana.

"Once we were in New Zealand. Smriti and I were there and the men's and women's teams were staying in the same hotel. Smriti and I asked Virat if we could talk to him about batting. He asked us to come down to the cafe. Anushka was also there. He actually told us that we have the power to change women's cricket and I can see that what change y'all can do is big and massive," she said. (22:26) (via Mashable India)

Smriti and Jemimah are two well-known and accomplished players not just in India but in Women's cricket across the globe. The two have won several games for the country and will be keen to deliver during the upcoming home World Cup as well.

Further, she stated that they had a four-hour-long conversation like long-lost friends have when they catch up. While they did talk about cricket, they also spoke about life.

Jemimah added that she looked up to Kohli and found a lot of similarities in the way they play their game.

"I admire his game because I find a lot of similarities. I love his intent, the energy he brings, the dominating mindset, and at the same time, he is someone who runs well. It is a very hardworking innings and that is why I look up to him," she added.

Kohli has taken Indian cricket to new and unthinkable heights. The star batter has played key roles in several big tournaments that the Men In Blue have won in the past, such as the 2011 World Cup, 2013 and 2025 Champions Trophy, and the 2024 T20 World Cup.

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"He is very down-to-earth and has an aura" - Jemimah on former Indian captain

In the same conversation, Jemimah Rodrigues also opened up about an interaction with former Indian captain MS Dhoni. She revealed how Dhoni had once asked her how much her bat weighed and told her that she used a heavier bat than himself.

Talking about the veteran's nature, she described Dhoni as someone very down-to-earth and with an aura about himself.

"He asked me the weight of my bat. I said 1200 grams. He said you use a heavier bat than me. We were at an event and the men's and women's teams were together. He is very down-to-earth and has an aura about himself. We were in New Zealand again and having dinner. Yuzi Chahal was with us. MS Dhoni walks in, and you could see the atmosphere; he just has an aura. But he is very humble. When you talk to him, you don't feel like, ' Oh, he is MS Dhoni," she said. (29:42)

Jemimah will be among the players to watch out for from the Indian team during the upcoming World Cup. She has played 50 ODIs so far and has scored 1439 runs at an average of 32.70 with two hundreds and seven half-centuries.