Glued to TV, family members of pacer Renuka Singh Thakur pray for Indian team's victory

The family members of the Indian women's cricket team pacer Renuka Singh Thakur are glued to the TV set at home and praying for the side's victory in the World Cup final against South Africa in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.

Renuka, who hails from the state's Parsa village in Rohru, is part of the Indian squad and picked up some vital wickets in the ongoing tournament.

Her father Kehar Singh Thakur, who worked in the state's Irrigation and Public Health Department, died when she was just three, and her mother Sunita Thakur raised her thereafter.

"We have prayed to the gods and goddesses that India must win today. I am very proud that my daughter, coming from a small village, is bringing glory to the country," Sunita Thakur, who was watching the match along with 15-16 family members, said.

She recalled that Renuka was always passionate for cricket and used to play the sport with boys since childhood. As a little girl, she used to make balls out of cloth and play with a wooden bat on the roadside.

"My brother-in-law, Bhupinder Thakur saw Renuka's talent and said that this girl has potential and it was with his support that Renuka got the opportunity to move forward," she said.

"We never thought that a daughter from our small village would play for India in the World Cup. Renuka has achieved this position through hard work and struggle," said her uncle Mota Thakur, a retired principal.

Renuka's uncle was a physical education teacher at the time and it was he who recognised her talent and sent her to Dharamshala cricket academy, from where her career began.

So far, out of the seven matches played by India in the 2025 World Cup, Renuka has featured in five gamed and taken three wickets.