Kamilini of Tamil Nadu Becomes a WPL Crorepati at 16

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Chandigarh: Sunday proved to be a remarkable day for G Kamalini, a 16-year-old allrounder hailing from Tamil Nadu. She made her debut for the India U-19 team against Pakistan in Kuala Lumpur during the U-19 Women’s Asia Cup. Following this, the Women’s Premier League (WPL) mini-auction took place in Bengaluru, where her outstanding domestic season positioned her as a highly sought-after player.

The left-handed opener delivered an impressive performance, scoring an unbeaten 44 runs off 29 balls, which contributed significantly to India's nine-wicket victory in Malaysia. Subsequently, the Mumbai Indians (MI) acquired the uncapped player for ₹1.6 crore during the WPL player auction, thereby making her the youngest crorepati in the women’s league.

Just twenty days prior, 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi from Bihar had made headlines as the youngest player to secure an IPL contract, having been signed by the Rajasthan Royals at the player auction.

Kamalini's base price was set at ₹10 lakh, and she sparked fierce competition between the Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians, with MI ultimately winning the bidding war.

The franchises were eager to secure the Tamil Nadu allrounder, especially after she emerged as the second-highest run-scorer in the U-19 Women’s T20 Trophy, amassing 311 runs in eight matches and leading Tamil Nadu to victory a few months ago. Notably, she hit 10 sixes during the tournament.

“Wearing the Indian jersey for the first time and making my U-19 debut, followed by my favourite WPL franchise bidding for me, feels like a dream come true. Although I believe I could have performed better against Pakistan, I am determined to improve for the next match. Playing under Harmanpreet Kaur (MI captain) and having Jhulan Goswami as a mentor will be an incredible experience,” stated Kamalini, who draws inspiration from Domnic Kishore, a player in the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) league.

Kamalini's journey into cricket began in 2020 when she observed her brother practising in the nets set up at their home. Before this, she was a state skating champion with no prior interest in cricket.

“Watching my brother play in the nets inspired me to start playing as well. My father then encouraged me to pursue the sport.”

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