A youngster's soaring hits
To say 2025 has been a dream year for G Kamalini, would be an understatement. The keeper-batter from Tamil Nadu kickstarted the year by winning the U19 T20 World Cup for India women before becoming the youngest to debut in the Womens Premier League for Mumbai Indians. There, too, she went on to be a part of the champion team as MI won their second title. The crowning moment, however, came on December 9, when the 17-year-old, who is coached by her dad and Louis Mariano at the Super Kings Academy (SKA), received her maiden call-up for the Indian womens team. She is part of the squad that will play the five T20Is against Sri Lanka this month. Obviously, 2025 is very special, Kamalini exclaims during a select media interaction on the sidelines of the Tamil Nadu Sports Conclave 2025 in Chennai. I got to play in WPL, won the U19 World Cup, and now the India call-up, all in the same year. It feels like a reward for all the hard work that went in over the last five-six years. Very emotional, she adds. The journey to this point has indeed been an emotional one. Gunalan and Saranya identified their daughters interest in the sport during the Covid lockdown and decided to take the plunge. Every day, week, month, and year has been about her cricket and it did not take long before Kamalini made the news. They moved from Madurai to Chennai for her cricket and soon, she rose through the TN age-group ranks. Through all this, a lot of struggles were endured and sacrifices made, including her fathers health. But the family persevered and Kamalini could not be prouder. It is a proud moment. All the struggles he (my dad) went through, was for me to play for India. Even now, despite health issues, he is working for me. So to get here, feels very happy and it happened with all the support of dad, mom, and brother, she says. For her, the last eight-nine months were about what the learning from the WPL was and implementing it on the field. In the last nine months, I spent time with senior players, learnt a lot about the characters, how to behave outside the ground and how to approach players on the field, they have a lot of experience, she said, before adding, Mumbai Indians is a great environment I learnt different things from each person. With Hayley Matthews, how to open the batting, the kind of approach you take when things are not going well. The one thing they say is to enjoy (your cricket). Whatever you do, give your full effort and enjoy. This philosophy, pushes her forwards in all her endeavours. While this is the biggest moment in her young career, Kamalini believes this is just the beginning. She has her eyes set on a long future with the Indian team. I want to win a lot of matches for the senior India team, and become a main player of the team, she said. The day may not be too far.
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