Thiruvananthapuram: India’s women’s team will seek to continue their dominance and secure a fourth straight victory against Sri Lanka in the fourth T20I in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. At the heart of India’s command stands Renuka Singh, the indefatigable pacer from Himachal who seems to find something extra every time she turns up in Kerala.
Kerala, it appears, has a way of rewarding Renuka’s faith. Each visit to Thiruvananthapuram brings with it an extra spring in her stride and a sharper nip through the air. From her U-19 days to the senior international stage, the venue has steadily become her personal hunting ground. “Kerala is my lucky place,” Renuka said after India’s dominant win over Sri Lanka on Friday. “I played U-19 cricket here as well. Whenever I come here, I take four wickets. I’m always excited to come to Kerala and Thiruvananthapuram is my lucky ground.” In the third T20I, Renuka ripped through Sri Lanka’s middle order with figures of 4/21, a spell that earned her the player-of-the-match award and left the visitors struggling for answers. That medal around her neck tells a deeper story, one built on persistence, preparation and an unwavering belief in process. “I never get five wickets, it’s always four,” she laughs disarmingly, even as she continues to be India’s most dependable pace option in the shortest format. Preparations for Renuka follow a familiar and disciplined path. Before every major assignment, she heads to the National Cricket Academy. “I go to the NCA to prepare for any tournament because it works for me,” she says. “I can do some extra work on my bowling and fitness, and that helps me execute better.” Over the last year, the 29-year-old’s evolution has been unmistakable. No longer just a new-ball bowler relying on swing and seam, Renuka has broadened her repertoire. Slower balls, changes of pace, and subtle variations in length and release are now central to her craft. The timing is deliberate. With a World Cup on the horizon, she knew there was no room for doubt. “For the last six months to a year, I’ve been working on my variations because I knew the World Cup was coming up,” she explained. “There shouldn’t be a doubt in my head. I want to be mentally prepared.” That mental clarity shows most when things don’t go to plan. Even if the first over goes for runs, as it did in the third T20I, Renuka doesn’t retreat. She recalibrates, reads the pitch and commits to the delivery she believes will fetch a wicket. Leadership support from skipper Harmanpreet Kaur helps, but so do the words of a mentor she deeply respects. Jhulan Goswami’s advice — that five-wicket hauls demand extra effort — still echoes. Renuka has just one T20I five-for so far, a 5/15 against England at the 2023 World Cup, and she knows there is more to chase. Former India player and women’s team coach WV Raman sees her value clearly. Renuka, he says, is a “vital cog” in India’s bowling unit: crafty, intelligent and armed with truckloads of variations. “In helpful conditions, she can be a handful. England, host of next year’s T20 World Cup, with its seam-friendly pitches and swinging skies, could well be her stage,” Raman argued. India, buoyed by the recent ODI World Cup success, is shaping its core for the future. In that group, Renuka remains indispensable. In Thiruvananthapuram, and perhaps soon in England, she isn’t just bowling spells, but carving out her signature, one hard-earned wicket at a time.
