In a heartwarming tale of perseverance and serendipity, 17-year-old left-handed wicket-keeper batter Gunalan Kamalini has earned her maiden call-up to the Indian senior women’s team for the upcoming five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka.
The prodigy, who swapped roller skating gold for cricket glory amid injuries and COVID boredom, now eyes a debut alongside skipper Harmanpreet Kaur. Her journey from backyard nets to national stardom embodies the grit fueling India’s dominant women’s cricket era, fresh off their historic ICC Women’s ODI World Cup triumph.
Kamalini’s pivot to cricket reads like a script from a sports movie. A former national-level skater, she clinched gold but battled recurring ankle injuries from falls. “I skate a lot, so I went into state, and to the National Level. I got a Gold Medal, and I just participated in the National. I got more injuries, I fell down and got an ankle injury a lot,” she recalled. Bored during COVID restrictions, she tagged along to watch her brother practice.
“So I shifted my career to cricket. I watched my brother’s cricket. He had been playing cricket for 4-5 years, so I just went to the nets to watch him. I was bored at home because of COVID restrictions. I just went to see what he’s playing. So I went and saw him, and there I fell in love with cricket. How he played, I loved that.”
The spark ignited instantly. The next day, she asked her father for a chance, and he agreed without hesitation. A casual veranda game with her right-handed brother, both awkwardly switching to left, sealed her fate. “One day, me and my brother were playing in the veranda, so it’s like a game where we play left-handed. Both of us are right-handed, so we shifted to the left, and at that time, my brother bowled spin. So I played very well, so my brother told my dad that she is perfectly driving the ball. She can play, she can play left.”
That natural flair propelled her through ranks, culminating in a dream senior India call-up. “Senior India, It’s something everyone dreams of. It’s absolutely what I also dreamt of. So It’s happened very early, so I’m really happy. I’m really excited to play with all the seniors and the most experienced players I ever met.”
Her breakout shone at the 2nd edition of the ICC Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup 2025 in Malaysia, where she emerged as India’s second-highest run-scorer and third overall. Kamalini amassed 143 runs in 7 innings at a strike rate of 104.37 and an average of 35.75, firing two half-centuries. Off the field, the Mumbai Indians snapped her up for 50 lakhs in retention ahead of the mega auction on 27th November 2025, securing her for the 4th Women’s Premier League (WPL) from 9th January to 5th February 2026, first phase at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, and second at Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara.
The call-up news hit home like a perfect cover drive. “I got the call that I got selected for India, and then I went to my parents, and I told my parents that I want a treat. I sat them down and told them I want a treat. So they kept asking why do I want a treat. They didn’t believe also. They said, don’t joke,” she laughed. Once reality sank in, emotions overflowed after 4-5 years of grind. “So after that, they did believe it. They got very emotional and excited, because it was 4-5 years of hard work that just paid off.”
Kamalini steps into a golden era. India, under Harmanpreet Kaur and head coach Amol Muzumdar, stunned South Africa by 52 runs in the final of the 13th ICC Women’s ODI World Cup (30th September to 2nd November 2025, hosted by India and partly Sri Lanka) at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, claiming their maiden senior ICC title. Kaur became the first Indian captain to lift one at home, with legends like Mithali Raj (on broadcasting duty), Jhulan Goswami, and Anjum Chopra sharing tears and the trophy in tribute to pioneers.
Now, India hosts Sri Lanka (captained by Chamari Athapaththu) for T20Is from 21st to 30th December 2025, a perfect stage before the 10th ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales (12th June to 5th July 2026). Kamalini’s ambition burns bright: “If I make the debut, so I should make India win. If I play all the matches, I have to make India win, that is my goal.”
(Quotes sourced from BCCI Official Release).
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