# Gunalan Kamalini
**Gunalan Kamalini** (born 2008) is an Indian cricketer from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, who plays as a left-handed wicketkeeper-batter and bowls legbreak spin. She represents [Mumbai Indians](https://www.edgepedia.org/mumbai-indians) in the Women's Premier League (WPL) and [Tamil Nadu](https://www.edgepedia.org/tamil-nadu) in domestic cricket, and made her international debut for India in a T20I against Sri Lanka in December 2025.[1](https://www.ipl.com/player/g-kamalini) • [2](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/108890/g-kamalini)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 2008, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India[1](https://www.ipl.com/player/g-kamalini) |
| Role | Wicketkeeper-batter; left-hand bat, legbreak bowling[1](https://www.ipl.com/player/g-kamalini) |
| WPL | Bought by Mumbai Indians for Rs 16 million (Rs 1.6 crore) at the 2025 auction; youngest player ever to debut in the league[3](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/wpl/wpl-2026-17-year-old-kamalini-becomes-youngest-debutant-in-league-history/articleshow/126525585.cms) |
| Under-19 | Third-highest run-getter at the 2024-25 ICC Women's Under-19 T20 World Cup, won by India[4](https://www.cricbuzz.com/profiles/1448805/g-kamalini-wk) |
| India debut | T20I, December 30, 2025, vs Sri Lanka at Thiruvananthapuram, aged 17[2](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/108890/g-kamalini) |
| T20I record | 5 matches, 30 runs, average 10.00, highest score 15*[5](https://cricket.rkjat.in/players/g-kamalini/) |
| Management | Signed by RISE Worldwide in July 2026, the first female athlete on the agency's talent roster[6](https://www.riseworldwide.in/news/rise-worldwide-signs-indias-rising-cricket-sensation-gunalan-kamalini/) |
## Early life and move to Chennai
Kamalini began in sport as a state-level skating champion, winning gold and silver medals from about age nine, and took up cricket at 12 after bowling a few balls to her brother at his academy.[2](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/108890/g-kamalini) • [7](https://www.mumbaiindians.com/amp/news/mi-story-kamalinis-journey-from-madurai-to-chennai-to-mi-to-team-india) Her father, Gunalan, who ran a transport business and had himself played club-level cricket in Madurai, coached her and decided the family would move to Chennai so she could access better facilities and competition.[3](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/wpl/wpl-2026-17-year-old-kamalini-becomes-youngest-debutant-in-league-history/articleshow/126525585.cms) • [8](https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/at-16-tamil-nadu-s-kamilini-becomes-a-wpl-crorepati-101734276318519.html) She trains at the Chennai Super Kings Academy, which offered turf pitches, and is mentored by Aarti Sankaran, a former Tamil Nadu cricketer and National Cricket Academy-certified coach, who converted her into a wicketkeeper within six months.[2](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/108890/g-kamalini) • [9](https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/tamil-nadu-u19-winning-captain-g-kamalini-16-9627458/lite/)
## Domestic and under-19 career
**Tamil Nadu success.** In 2024, at 16, Kamalini captained Tamil Nadu to its first women's Under-19 trophy at Lahli and was the second-highest run-getter of the tournament with 311 runs in 8 matches.[9](https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/tamil-nadu-u19-winning-captain-g-kamalini-16-9627458/lite/) At the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association's annual awards she won the women's cricketer of the year award, along with the Under-19 and Under-15 cricketer of the year awards.[9](https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/tamil-nadu-u19-winning-captain-g-kamalini-16-9627458/lite/) • [10](https://www.mykhel.com/cricket/players/g-kamalini-pl108890/)
**Under-19 World Cup.** Her first U-19 international appearance for India came on December 15, 2024, when she faced Pakistan in an [Asia Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/asia-cup) fixture at [Kuala Lumpur](https://www.edgepedia.org/kuala-lumpur), hitting 44 from 29 deliveries.[1](https://www.ipl.com/player/g-kamalini) Batting at the top of the order, she was the third-highest run-getter at the 2024-25 ICC Women's Under-19 T20 World Cup in Malaysia, which India won.[4](https://www.cricbuzz.com/profiles/1448805/g-kamalini-wk) • [2](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/108890/g-kamalini)
## Women's Premier League
At the WPL mini-auction in Bengaluru in late 2024, Mumbai Indians signed the then 16-year-old for Rs 16 million (Rs 1.6 crore) after a bidding contest with the [Delhi Capitals](https://www.edgepedia.org/delhi-capitals).[3](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/wpl/wpl-2026-17-year-old-kamalini-becomes-youngest-debutant-in-league-history/articleshow/126525585.cms) • [8](https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/at-16-tamil-nadu-s-kamilini-becomes-a-wpl-crorepati-101734276318519.html) • [11](https://www.mumbaiindians.com/news/from-skating-to-cricket-from-rightie-to-leftie-kamalinis-heartwarming-story) In WPL 2025 she became the youngest player ever to debut in the league.[3](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/wpl/wpl-2026-17-year-old-kamalini-becomes-youngest-debutant-in-league-history/articleshow/126525585.cms) She was one of five players retained by Mumbai Indians ahead of the mega auction for WPL 2026, in which she scored a best of 32 off 28 balls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women.[6](https://www.riseworldwide.in/news/rise-worldwide-signs-indias-rising-cricket-sensation-gunalan-kamalini/) • [12](https://www.cricbuzz.com/profiles/1448805/gunalan-kamalini/all-matches/batting) She was later ruled out of the remainder of the WPL 2026 season through injury, with [Vaishnavi Sharma](https://www.edgepedia.org/vaishnavi-sharma) named as her replacement.[13](https://epaper.morningindia.in/uploads/epaper/2026-01/6970ef6a55355.pdf)
## International career
Kamalini received her maiden India call-up, with Vaishnavi Sharma, for the five-match home T20I series against Sri Lanka in December 2025, and debuted in the fifth T20I at [Thiruvananthapuram](https://www.edgepedia.org/thiruvananthapuram) on December 30, 2025, aged 17, scoring 12 runs.[14](https://www.dailypioneer.com/uploads/2025/epaper/december/hyderabad-english-edition-2025-12-10.pdf) • [2](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/108890/g-kamalini) Through September 2026 she had played 5 T20Is, scoring 30 runs at an average of 10.00 with a highest of 15 not out, and taken 4 catches as wicketkeeper.[5](https://cricket.rkjat.in/players/g-kamalini/) Her best innings came in the 2026 [Women's Asia Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/womens-asia-cup) final against Sri Lanka in Dubai, an unbeaten 15 off 5 balls that helped India reach 183/5.[12](https://www.cricbuzz.com/profiles/1448805/gunalan-kamalini/all-matches/batting) • [15](https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/cricket/2026/Sep/14/kamalinis-father-is-living-with-us-through-cricket-mom-saranya-reflects-on-her-husband-gunalans-passing) She was named in India's squad for the 2026 [Asian Games](https://www.edgepedia.org/asian-games).[6](https://www.riseworldwide.in/news/rise-worldwide-signs-indias-rising-cricket-sensation-gunalan-kamalini/)
## Family and recognition
Her father Gunalan, who doubled as her coach and throwdown specialist, suffered a severe heart attack after a training session; he died before September 2026, and her mother Saranya described his continuing presence in her daughter's cricket.[9](https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/tamil-nadu-u19-winning-captain-g-kamalini-16-9627458/lite/) • [15](https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/cricket/2026/Sep/14/kamalinis-father-is-living-with-us-through-cricket-mom-saranya-reflects-on-her-husband-gunalans-passing) Her brother Dominic Kishore plays division cricket in the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association league and was an early influence on her bowling.[8](https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/at-16-tamil-nadu-s-kamilini-becomes-a-wpl-crorepati-101734276318519.html) • [7](https://www.mumbaiindians.com/amp/news/mi-story-kamalinis-journey-from-madurai-to-chennai-to-mi-to-team-india) In July 2026, RISE Worldwide, a Reliance company whose cricket roster includes [Rohit Sharma](https://www.edgepedia.org/rohit-sharma) and [Jasprit Bumrah](https://www.edgepedia.org/jasprit-bumrah), signed her as its first female athlete, taking over her commercial and talent management.[6](https://www.riseworldwide.in/news/rise-worldwide-signs-indias-rising-cricket-sensation-gunalan-kamalini/)
## References
1. [G Kamalini (Mumbai Indians Women) Cricket Player Profile, IPL](https://www.ipl.com/player/g-kamalini)
2. [G Kamalini Player Profile, ICC](https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/108890/g-kamalini)
3. [WPL 2026: 17-year-old Kamalini becomes youngest debutant in league history, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/wpl/wpl-2026-17-year-old-kamalini-becomes-youngest-debutant-in-league-history/articleshow/126525585.cms)
4. [Gunalan Kamalini Profile, Cricbuzz](https://www.cricbuzz.com/profiles/1448805/g-kamalini-wk)
5. [Gunalan Kamalini stats: women's T20I career records, Cricket Wicket](https://cricket.rkjat.in/players/g-kamalini/)
6. [RISE Worldwide signs India's rising cricket sensation Gunalan Kamalini](https://www.riseworldwide.in/news/rise-worldwide-signs-indias-rising-cricket-sensation-gunalan-kamalini/)
7. [MI Story: Kamalini's journey from Madurai to Chennai to MI to Team India, Mumbai Indians](https://www.mumbaiindians.com/amp/news/mi-story-kamalinis-journey-from-madurai-to-chennai-to-mi-to-team-india)
8. [At 16, Tamil Nadu's Kamalini becomes a WPL crorepati, Hindustan Times](https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/at-16-tamil-nadu-s-kamilini-becomes-a-wpl-crorepati-101734276318519.html)
9. [Kamalini, Tamil Nadu's promising young cricketer, who starred in her side's U19 title, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/tamil-nadu-u19-winning-captain-g-kamalini-16-9627458/lite/)
10. [G Kamalini Profile, myKhel](https://www.mykhel.com/cricket/players/g-kamalini-pl108890/)
11. [From skating to cricket; from rightie to leftie, Mumbai Indians](https://www.mumbaiindians.com/news/from-skating-to-cricket-from-rightie-to-leftie-kamalinis-heartwarming-story)
12. [Gunalan Kamalini all matches batting, Cricbuzz](https://www.cricbuzz.com/profiles/1448805/gunalan-kamalini/all-matches/batting)
13. [MI wicketkeeper-batter G Kamalini ruled out of remainder of WPL 2026, Morning India e-paper](https://epaper.morningindia.in/uploads/epaper/2026-01/6970ef6a55355.pdf)
14. [Hyderabad English edition e-paper, The Daily Pioneer, December 10, 2025](https://www.dailypioneer.com/uploads/2025/epaper/december/hyderabad-english-edition-2025-12-10.pdf)
15. [Kamalini's father is living with us through cricket, The New Indian Express](https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/cricket/2026/Sep/14/kamalinis-father-is-living-with-us-through-cricket-mom-saranya-reflects-on-her-husband-gunalans-passing)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Cricket › Cricket people and teams › People › Women's international cricketers and the women's game*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license