"I tell Smriti that I have to win the match for my mom" - Renuka Singh on her mother's emotional reactions when India lose
Renuka Singh has disclosed that she has told Smriti Mandhana that she desperately wants to win matches for India as her mom gets emotional when the team loses.
Renuka and Smriti are currently in South Africa for the ongoing Women's T20 World Cup. The Women in Blue will face the West Indies in their second group-stage game in Cape Town on Wednesday, February 15.
During an interaction with Aakash Chopra on the Aakashvani show on JioCinema, Renuka Singh spoke about her additional motivation to win games for India, saying:
"I want to win for my mom because she starts crying after the match. I tell Smriti that I have to win the match for my mom no matter what happens. It doesn't matter to her if her daughter is playing or not but the team should win."
Mother is proud!❤️
#RenukaSingh #WPL #Cricket #CricketTwitter https://t.co/gl81FgFzHm
The right-arm seamer revealed that her mother got emotional when India lost the first game of the home series against Australia, observing:
"I recently got her to watch the India-Australia series at home. It was the first time I was nervous in my life when my mother came to watch the match. We lost the first match and she started crying."
Renuka added that she even asked Harmanpreet Kaur to ensure that India win the next game, stating:
"Then I asked her to go home if she had to do like that. Harry di (Harmanpreet Kaur) was also there and she asked her also to win. I said - 'Harry di please, or else my mom will start crying'. I have a lot of pressure to win the match for my mom."
When bowling the 20th over, Renuka Singh conceded just 9 runs. She bowled the Super Over and got the team home. Two giant performances under pressure with a wet ball! #INDvAUS https://t.co/C2HU6tixZs
India lost to Australia by nine wickets in the first T20I at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai in December last year.
They bounced back by winning the next match in a one-over eliminator after the 20-over game ended in a tie. While Smriti Mandhana starred with the bat for the hosts, Renuka Singh stopped the Aussies from getting the required 21 runs in the Super Over.
"My village friends used to make me bowl only and didn't give me much batting at all" - Renuka Singh on how she became a fast bowler
Aakash Chopra further asked Renuka Singh whether she always wanted to become a bowler, to which she replied:
"My village friends used to make me bowl only and didn't give me much batting at all. So I told them that I didn't become a batter because of them. But I would say I am happy that I am a bowler because I like it."
Renuka has picked up 24 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 6.45 in 28 T20Is. She has accounted for 18 dismissals at an exceptional average of 14.88 in just seven ODIs.