Renuka used to play cricket with boys during childhood: mother Sunita

Shimla: As a child, Renuka Singh Thakur was passionate about cricket and she would play with boys of her locality with home-made wooden bat and balls made of cloth, her mother Sunita recalled.

Sunita also said that her late husband was a cricket lover who wanted Renuka to do well in the game.

"An ardent cricket lover, my husband wanted that one of the kids should take sports -- or Kabaddi -- and even though he is not with us, my daughter has fulfilled his dreams, said Sunita said on Monday.

"Renuka was always passionate about 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." Renuka, who hails from the state's Parsa village in Rohru tehsil in Shimla district, played a major role in the Indian team's maiden World Cup title win.

The celebrations started on Sunday with family members cheering the falling of each of South African wickets. On Monday, the Thakur family has offered a feast to the whole village, celebrating the world cup victory.

"Play for the country and not for you today and win the World Cup," Sunita told her daughter on phone before Sunday's final match, in which India beat South Africa by 52 runs in Navi Mumbai.

"We are happy as our daughter has reached here today and we wish that all girls should go forward and pray to God to keep the youth away from drugs."

Renuka's father Kehar Singh Thakur, who worked in the state's irrigation and public health department, died when she was just three. She played with the tattoo of her father inscribed on her hand.

"Kehar was so much into cricket that he named his first kid Vinod Thakur after Vinod Kambli, who along with Sachin Tendulkar was a star cricketer at the time when his son was born," one of Sunita's relatives said.

Sunita said it was Renuka's uncle who spotted her talent and initiated her to cricket.

"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.

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.