Khar Gymkhana in Mumbai on Sunday cancelled playing membership of India women's team batter Jemimah Rodrigues over allegations that her father booked a club hall for religious conversions and other activities. The order was issued at an Annual General Meeting on October 20.
Rodrigues, a cricketer from Bandra, played three Test matches, 20 ODIs, and 104 T20Is for India and became the first woman cricketer to be granted Khar Gymkhana membership in March 2023. A Gymkhana management member stated that Rodrigues' father, Ivan, linked to an evangelical group called Brother Manuel Ministries, booked the banquet hall for over a year for "meetings related to religious conversions."
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Khar Gymkhana president Vivek Devnani denied the allegations and accused rivals of indulging in politics ahead of the club’s upcoming elections. He said that the three-year India Batter's membership was revoked after a resolution passed at a general body meeting. However, he cautioned that a needless controversy was being created against Ivan and Jemimah as Khar Gymkhana is scheduled to have its managing committee and trustee elections later this month. Devnani said that the allegations are raised with political motives and no evidence are available to prove these claims.
Shiv Malhotra, a managing committee member and former vice president, said, “Though Jemimah was granted membership, her father exploited this privilege by booking the banquet hall for meetings related to religious conversions."