T20 World Cup 2023: Constant drive to become better behind Renuka's rise to top
CHENNAI: When Pawan Sen came across Renuka Singh Thakur at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Academy more than a decade ago, she was among a group of 20 or so teenagers at the first-of-its-kind residential place. He told them that one day some of them would go on and play for India. The reaction, he recalls, from the players was laughter.
Also, after every match, she calls Sen to ask about what she did well on a particular delivery or what did not work for her in a spell. “I have to keep track of the schedule and watch every ball of the match irrespective of the time zone as later in the day or the next day, she will be asking me for specific feedback with a lot of questions,” says Sen.
As India are set to take on Pakistan at Cape Town in their opening game of the T20 World Cup on Sunday, Renuka has a responsibility on her shoulders. She will be sharing the new ball with Shikha, but one has to wait and see how the conditions play out. While Sen wants her to keep it simple if there is not much swing, Renuka would want to make an impact on the global stage. For it will not just be Sen who will be watching her play, but also the young talents at the HPCA academy.