Inspired by late father, supported by Class IV employee mother, Renuka Singh Thakur rips through Australia in Birmingham

Renuka Singh Thakur’s WhatsApp display picture is of a tattoo where a father is playing with his daughter. Renuka had inked it in memory of her late father, who passed away in 1999. Kehar Singh Thakur, who used to work in the Himachal Pradesh irrigation and public health department in Rohru, died when Renuka was only three.

“Whatever little she has achieved is dedicated to her father,” says Pawan Sen, coach of the Himachal Pradesh Women’s cricket team. Before going to Birmingham for the Commonwealth Games, Renuka had a long chat with her childhood coach. Sen’s only advice to her was to do well in the first match.

“Maine usko bas itna kaha ki pehle match mein aisa perform karna ki saare match mey khelne ka mauka mila (Perform well in the first match so that you get to play all the matches in the tournament),” Sen told Indian Express from Dharamshala.

The 26-year-old seamer ran through Australia’s top four in India’s Group A opener at Edgbaston, removing Alyssa Healy (0), Beth Mooney (10), captain Meg Lanning (8) and Tahlia McGrath (14) in an impressive spell of 4-0-18-4. Healy and Mooney were dismissed on good length deliveries and Lanning threw away her wicket to a shortish, wide one but the wicket which satisfied Sen the most was of McGrath.

“Inswing uska asli weapon hai, inswinging yorker kaafi achha daalti hai, best hai country mein (Inswing is her real weapon and she has the best inswinging yorker in the country),” said Sen.

If not for her mother, Renuka would never have played cricket. Renuka’s mother Sunita joined the irrigation and public health department as a class IV employee in 2000, and as a youngster, Renuka showed interest in playing cricket at the village ground with elder brother Vinod.