Kamalini Elevates Tamil Nadu Women’s Cricket, gets retained by MI Paltans alongside Harmanpreet Kaur

The 16-year-old daughter of Gunalan and Saranya, Kamalini from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, is proving that with utmost hard work can take you anywhere. A fierce batter, a promising wicketkeeper, and a fighter in every sense, she has been setting great standards in Tamil Nadu women’s cricket. But her journey hasn’t been easy; it’s been a mix of passion, struggles, and a relentless run to succeed in cricket.

Kamalini’s love for cricket wasn’t born in any training academies or under professional coaches at the very beginning. It began in the streets, playing with her brother, picking up the balls as she watched him get actual coaching. That’s when her interest in cricket sparked up, and she confessed her wish to her dad. While others trained under structured guidance, she learned by observation, by instinct, by absolute love for the game at the beginning of her career in this sport.

Interestingly, cricket wasn’t her only favourite sport. She had a strong interest in skating between the ages of 8-9, but as the years passed, cricket became her everything. Her family saw the fire in her and supported her dreams wholeheartedly.

The real challenge came when she moved to Chennai from Madurai. With her parents standing by her side, she joined the Super Kings Academy, the official coaching centre of the Chennai Super Kings. This was where her raw talent started turning into real skills that couldn’t just go to waste.

Life, however, isn’t just about cricket, right? While Kamalini was chasing her dreams, life threw her a massive challenge: her father was diagnosed with heart disease and had to be hospitalized. It was a tough time, but Kamalini did what she knew best: she played her heart out. In the very next state match after her father’s hospitalisation, she went on to score a century, a knock that was filled with faith, emotion, determination, and purpose to prove that nothing can stop her from conquering what she wants in life.

Despite the setbacks, she kept going. Her only dream was to play for India’s U-19 team, and nothing was going to stop her.

Kamalini’s breakthrough moment came when she smashed her first-ever century at the SCA (Madurai) in the state-level game. That was the innings that made people stand up and take notice, earning her recognition at the national level. Soon after, she led Tamil Nadu’s U-15 team as captain, proving her leadership skills along with her batting ability.

Her records:

As the captain of Tamil Nadu’s U-15 team, she kick-started her journey in this field. Kamalini led the team from the front, smashing three centuries with an extraordinary batting average of 114.90, a total score of 458, and five half-centuries to her name.

She also improved her wicket-keeping skills during this period, becoming quicker behind the stumps while learning more about wicket-keeping in the SKA, a skill that would help her at higher levels.

As she stepped into the Tamil Nadu U19, she showed everyone why she was one of the most exciting young talents in Indian women’s cricket.

In the Tamil Nadu U-19 cricket, Kamalini showcased her consistency by scoring 311 runs, including a century, while maintaining an impressive batting average of 62.

In the campaign, Kamalini made a total of 393 runs, including 56 in a single match, with a batting average of 32.57, a striking strike rate of 108.05, and three well-constructed half-centuries.

She knows that was just the beginning of her career. She has played some of her best knocks in the U-19 Women’s One-Day format, where she has been a key player for Tamil Nadu. But her ultimate goal was clear: to wear the Indian jersey, step onto the field, represent her country, and play great knocks and make her stand out and get the recognition she had always wanted.

Getting selected for the under-19 T20 women’s world was the best thing that happened to her; her dream was coming true with all the hard work and struggles she and her family had gone through. She saw better days coming upfront and the success of all her wishes.

Kamalini made a strong impact in the U-19 T20 World Cup, scoring 228 runs with a solid batting average of 32.57 and an impressive strike rate of 108.05. Her most memorable knock came against England on January 31, 2025, where she played a crucial innings of 56, stepping up when it mattered most. With every game, she proved her talent, composure, and ability to handle pressure on the biggest stage.

Kamalini has made her stance clear in the Women’s Premier League, proving why MI Paltans trusted her with a ₹1.6 crore bid in the 2025 WPL and has now been retained for the upcoming 2026 WPL as well, along with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Amanjot Singh. With every game, she’s proving her talent, stepping up under pressure, and giving fans plenty to cheer about.

She has learned a great deal from senior players, absorbing every bit of knowledge and experience. She understands that cricket isn’t just about scoring runs; it’s about discipline, handling pressure & proving yourself consistently.

“Sachin was always talent combined with hard work, Kamalini is very similar in that way,” said Louis Mariano, the Director of cricket (SKA), a major support to Kamalini in her career.

With her aggressive stroke play, ability to anchor innings, and sharp wicket-keeping skills, she is a complete package and holds a secure place in the Indian team in the future.

With her sincere dedication and hard work, she bagged the Women Cricketer of the Year in 2024 along with the awards for best batter in U-19 One Day, U-23 One Day, and U-19 T20 cricket by the TNCA.

Kamalini’s story isn’t just about numbers or stats. It’s about a young girl who dared to dream, who fought through personal hardships, and who believed in herself when no one else did. Her journey from the streets of Madurai to the Super Kings Academy, from local matches to the India U-19 circuit, is proof that talent combined with determination can break all barriers.

She still has a long way to go, but one thing is certain: this girl is going places. And one day soon, she will reach great heights. When she walks onto the field wearing India’s blue jersey, it will be the culmination of years of struggle, sacrifice, and sheer love for the game.

This is just the beginning for Kamalini. The best is yet to come.