From cloth ball to cricket glory: Renuka Singh Thakur's rise to stardom

Cricket wasn't just a sport for Renuka; it was the unfulfilled dream of her late father, one she took upon herself to achieve despite all odds.

"I hadn't seen much cricket as a kid, it was just a hobby, I don't know how it came. I just liked playing. And there was a rule in my village that we used to play with a cloth ball, so you have to throw it fast, otherwise it doesn't go far. So that's how I became a fast bowler. I didn't talk much about my dad with my mom, then one day she told me that it was his hobby. He wanted at least one of his children to play. So, I started taking it seriously and I think cricket probably came about for this reason, as it was my dad's dream," she explained as quoted by RCB press release.

Renuka's path to success was anything but easy. She left her village to join a cricket academy, steadily climbing the ranks. However, when she thought she was on track to make it big, she was dropped from the U-19 team, a moment that hit her hard.

"There were many things at that time, like in my family and I was also dropped from the game. My brother also had an accident, so I couldn't understand how to get out of it. But I liked taking challenges, and after being dropped from the U-19 team, I asked myself how I could prove them wrong. If I perform well. So, I worked very hard after that."

That relentless drive paid off when she made her India debut against Australia in October 2021. And in 2023, RCB picked her for the inaugural WPL season. Though she managed just one wicket in her debut season, she never stopped learning. Seeking wisdom from the best, she turned to Jasprit Bumrah for advice on handling pressure.

"I had a long conversation with him after the WPL. I was feeling like I had taken on too much pressure, so I asked him how to deal with it. He told me that the more matches you play, the more you'll get used to it. The more people watch you, the more pressure increases. But how you handle it matters," she revealed.

Now, back at her best, Renuka has 10 wickets to her name and held the purple cap at various points in the season. Playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the WPL has been a thrilling experience for her.

"I'm lucky to be playing for RCB because the fans are so good. When we go to the stadium, the whole stadium chants RCB. I like it when the crowd chants our name, it gives us a push. But, overall, Women's cricket has grown a lot in the past few years. At this time, there are so many facilities, the money has increased, and so many people can see a career in this. When I go home too, little kids play in the village, so it feels good when they come and say, 'Didi, I want to be like you'. That feeling a person is growing because of me, that's incomparable," she signed off. (ANI)