"It was very shocking for me" - Renuka Singh on getting selected in India's World Cup squad
Renuka Singh has disclosed that she was shocked when she was picked in the Indian squad for last year's ODI World Cup.
Renuka was among the four seamers picked in India's 15-member squad for the global event, with Jhulan Goswami, Meghna Singh and all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar being the others.
She hadn't made her ODI debut when the squad was announced, although she did play a couple of matches in the series against New Zealand heading into the tournament.
During an interaction with Aakash Chopra on the Aakashvani show on JioCinema, Renuka Singh was asked about her feelings when her name came in the World Cup squad, to which she responded:
"It was very shocking for me that my name came suddenly. I didn't expect it all because it was the ODI World Cup. I had made my T20I debut but I had only played domestic one-day games before that. My performance was good in domestic cricket but I didn't expect my name will come in the World Cup squad."
The swing bowler added that she was elated to experience the World Cup atmosphere even though she didn't get to play a game, stating:
"I thought my name will come in the reserves, but I didn't know that my name will come in the 15. I didn't get to play but got to feel the World Cup pressure. I got something I didn't expect, so I was happy about that itself."
18 ODI wickets at 14.88
22 T20I wickets at 23.95
🔹 18 ODI wickets at 14.88
🔸 22 T20I wickets at 23.95
India’s newest fast bowling star Renuka Singh has been named as the ICC Emerging Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2022 🏆🇮🇳
#ICCAwards #India #TeamIndia #CricketTwitter https://t.co/c7LTHbAzhA
Renuka has excelled in the five ODIs she has played since the World Cup. The right-arm seamer has scalped 15 wickets in these matches, including back-to-back four-wicket hauls in the last two 50-over games she played against England.
"She is my favorite batter" - Renuka Singh on dismissing Alyssa Healy in the Commonwealth Games
Aakash Chopra also asked Renuka Singh about her Commonwealth Games spell against Australia and her first dismissal of Alyssa Healy, to which she replied:
"I also enjoyed it. I had bowled such a spell after a long time. She (Healy) is my favorite batter because I enjoy bowling to her a lot. When I had probably made my debut, then also I had taken her wicket. So it has become like I have to do something to get her out for sure."
As for her other three dismissals of Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath, Renuka said:
"Then Lanning - she was caught at point. We had actually made a plan for her in the meeting that we have to bowl her that ball. We kept two points because she gets trapped on that ball only. So the planning we did got executed. Then Mooney bowled with an inner edge and then a very good ball (to dismiss McGrath). I liked it a lot as it was a very good inswinger."
- Wicket of Alyssa Healy.
- Wicket of Beth Mooney.
- Wicket of Meg Lanning.
- Wicket of Tahlia McGrath.
- All in the Powerplay.
- A spell of 4/18.
- Renuka Singh Thakur! https://t.co/2ZY5A7W7LG
However, Renuka Singh added that she was sad at the end of the day as India couldn't win the match despite her devastating spell of 4/18. Ashleigh Gardner (52* off 35) and Grace Harris (37 off 20) smashed the Indian bowlers all around the park to help Australia achieve the 155-run target with an over to spare.