Renuka Thakur of India celebrates the wicket of Imesha Dulani of Sri Lanka during the 3rd T20I match between India and Sri Lanka at Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram, India, on December 26, 2025. (CREIMAS for BCCI)
Renuka Singh Thakur who first fell in love with cricket at Parsa village, a hamlet with not more than 150 families in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, was back in Mumbai, two months after India won the Women’s World Cup. She beamed brighter than the Marine Drive sunset.
Having known all along that cricket fame travelled deeply – given her late father Kehar Singh, a cricket-fanatic, had literally named her brother after Vinod Kambli – the India pacer, sitting in a South Bombay hotel, was experiencing the glow of fame first-hand. India’s first-ever women’s world champion, had the media queuing up to ask her a long list of questions.
“I have to get used to it. It feels good that people are asking me questions!” she said, still soaking in the new popularity ahead of the Women’s Premier League interactions with her new team Gujarat Giants. It’s taken her 16 years since she first picked up a cricket ball and went on to make her Rohru origins famous as ‘Renuka’s village.’ The shift was not lost on her. “We have been hoping for a long time that people (will) ask us questions some day. Thank God, we are getting all these things now,” she told The Indian Express in an interview on Tuesday.
The ODI World Cup win in November has changed how Renuka Singh Thakur is received everywhere she goes. She is recognised more easily now. Public appearances are routine. Even television studios, once distant, are part of the schedule. For a cricketer who spent years operating away from the spotlight, silently fulfilling her father’s cricket dream, the adjustment is still a work in progress, though the tattoo with her deceased father’s image after he passed away in 1999, is quite famous now as one worn proudly by a winner.
As Indian women’s cricket basks in the afterglow of that triumph, the attention has arrived alongside expectation. For Renuka, however, the external noise has not altered the way she views her job. While the attention has grown, the calendar has tightened, and the expectations have risen, the core philosophy, she insisted, did not change. Good cricket, backed by hard work, remained the focus.
“There is no such thing. Just good cricket. If you play good cricket, you will definitely get good results. I believe in hard work. God will give what he wants,” she said.
The Women’s Premier League (WPL) has evolved rapidly since its inception. In the early seasons, teams leaned heavily on overseas players to deliver results. Renuka, who will play for Gujarat Giants (GG) in the fourth season, starting Friday, believes that the equation is changing as Indian players gain confidence and exposure.
Renuka Thakur of India bowls during the 3rd T20I match between India and Sri Lanka at Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram, India, on December 26, 2025. (CREIMAS for BCCI)
“There are a lot of players coming through. Six months ago, players like Kranti (Gaud) and Sree Charani came from WPL, and they left an impact on the World Cup,” the medium-pacer said.
Beyond individual breakthroughs, Renuka pointed to a deeper transformation in belief. “The mindset changes a lot. Six months ago, no one thought that they would play in India or win a trophy. Think about how much change there is for Indian cricket,” she added.
The clamour for the T20 World Cup is about to start growing.
Structural improvements at the domestic level have also reinforced that sense of progress, and she thanked Jay Shah for his role in empowering the women’s game. “There are a lot of matches now. Since I have been playing in India, I don’t get much time to rest. But it feels good to see that Indian cricket has grown a lot,” she said.
“The domestic match fees have also increased. It feels good to hear that. How many more people will play cricket? Everything is happening because of Jay Shah. He supports women’s cricket a lot,” Renuka added.
With the T20 World Cup less than six months away, Indian women’s cricket is entering a decisive phase where every competitive outing doubles as preparation. Renuka views the tournament not as a standalone event, but as a vital step on the road to the global event in June.
“Everything will be important now. Our team has discussed that the T20 World Cup will be held in the next six months. We will be preparing for that. This is the platform where we can experience things. We can work on different things. We haven’t got much time yet, but we have a lot of time to change things,” she said.
On the field, WPL preparation is sharpened by the presence of experienced international players in the GG setup. Renuka has previously bowled alongside Australia’s Kim Garth and valued the learning that comes from shared experience. “I have already played cricket with her. She was in RCB as well. It was fun to bowl with her. We often discuss what to do and what is better. I have a good bond with her,” she said.
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