In a fitting finale to India’s dominant show in the T20I series against Sri Lanka, with the scoreline already reading 4-0, and the visitors staring at a T20I whitewash, 17-year-old left-handed wicket-keeper batter Gunalan Kamalini marked her international debut with a promising 12 runs off 12 balls, including a couple of boundaries, at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on December 30, 2025.
Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu won the toss and elected to bowl first in a dead-rubber. Kamalini’s knock ended in the fifth over, bowled by Kavisha Dilhari for Sri Lanka’s second breakthrough, yet it signaled the arrival of a prodigy who was India’s second-highest run-scorer at the ICC Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup 2025.
Kamalini’s journey to the senior international stage has been meteoric, built on standout domestic and global youth performances. Just months ago, in the second edition of the ICC Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup in Malaysia, the teenager amassed 143 runs across seven innings at a strike rate of 104.37 and an average of 35.75, including two half-centuries. This placed her as the tournament’s third-highest run-scorer, underlining her poise under pressure and ability to anchor innings for India.
Her big-league credentials extend to the Women’s Premier League (WPL), where the Mumbai Indians spotted her talent early. Kamalini made her WPL debut on February 18, 2025, representing Mumbai Indians against Gujarat Giants at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, smashing a boundary off the first ball she faced en route to a thrilling five-wicket victory in the 3rd edition of the tournament.
Mumbai’s faith in her remains unshaken; they retained her for 50 lakhs ahead of the mega auction on November 27, 2025, for the fourth WPL edition, set to run from January 9 to February 5, 2026. The tournament’s first phase unfolds at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, with the second at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara.
India’s series dominance provided the perfect backdrop for Kamalini’s bow, having already won the first T20I by 8 wickets, the second by 7 wickets on December 23, the third by 8 wickets with 40 balls to spare, and the fourth by 30 runs for a 4-0 lead.
As eyes turn to the 10th ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales from June 12 to July 5, 2026, Kamalini’s blend of wicket-keeping sharpness, left-handed flair, and fearless strokeplay positions her as a cornerstone for India’s future campaigns.
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