[Watch] Renuka Singh hands emotional Tanuja Kanwar her maiden India cap ahead of India vs UAE Women's Asia Cup match
Left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar made her debut for India during the ongoing Women's Asia Cup match against the UAE in Dambulla on Sunday (July 21). She received her cap from her Himachal Pradesh teammate and fast bowler Renuka Thakur.
Kanwar had been named as a replacement for Shreyanka Patil, who has been ruled out of the tournament with a fractured finger. Shreyanka sustained the injury during India's match against Pakistan.
In a video posted by the BCCI, Tanuja Kanwar is seen getting her cap from Renuka Thakur and the latter also opened up on their playing days together for Himachal and Kanwar's never-say-die attitude.
Here's what Renuka said:
"Congratulations TK on your debut. It is a special day for you, your family, whole of Himachal and also for our coach as they wanted us to play for India together. We have played together since our childhood and have been roommates and I have seen your struggle. When your name didn't used to come in the selected players, the next day you used to be on the ground sweating it hard. You never gave up."
Here's the video:
Tanuja Kanwar was in tears after receiving the cap and understandably so given how emotional a moment it was for her.
Tanuja Kanwar on her maiden India cap
In the video, Tanuja Kanwar opened up on the feeling of receiving her maiden India cap from her childhood friend Renuka Thakur. She also spoke about the reaction of her parents when she told them about her debut.
Here's what she said:
"I had called my parents to let them know and they were very happy. While they weren't able to tell me how happy they were, I knew from their expressions that they were delighted. I am happy to receive the cap from Renuka since we are playing from childhood. I was waiting for this feeling for a long time."
Kanwar also thanked her coach and her parents for their sacrifices and contributions that helped her realize her dream of playing for the country.