Top 7 Youngest Women Players in Cricket History (2026 List)

When they first stepped onto the field to bat for their countries, they were just children. Some were twelve years old. Some were thirteen. Some were fourteen or fifteen. Most cricketers wait until they’re older. These girls didn’t wait. They were chosen because they were good enough. Age didn’t matter. Talent mattered. They had the talent, and that’s why they played. The ball was hard and fast. The bowlers were big and strong. The pressure was real. But these young players walked onto the field and played international cricket while others their age were still in school. They faced professional bowlers. They batted under pressure. They fielded in front of crowds. And they did all of this before most people had even finished middle school. This is the story of some of the youngest women to ever debut in international cricket. Each of them made history simply by being there. Each of them proved that talent doesn’t wait for age.

1. Sajjida Shah (Pakistan)

Sajjida Shah was born on February 3, 1988. She made her debut on July 23, 2000. She was twelve years old. This made her the youngest player to debut in Women’s One Day Internationals (ODIs). No player younger than her has achieved this feat since.

She played for Pakistan against Ireland in Lisbon. It was Pakistan’s twenty-fourth ODI. The tour took place in Europe during the summer. Shah was a child playing against women. She was small, and they weren’t. But she was chosen for a reason. Pakistan had seen something special in her batting or bowling, or both. They included her in the team, and she played.

Making a debut at the age of twelve is extraordinary. Most children are still learning the game at that age. Shah was playing it at the highest level. The pressure of international cricket is immense. She faced it before she even became a teenager. It takes courage. It takes talent. She had both.

2. Gaby Lewis (Ireland)

Gaby Lewis was born on March 27, 2001. She made her T20I debut against South Africa on September 9, 2014. She was thirteen years old. That’s a very young age for international cricket.

She played for Ireland. It was Ireland’s 32nd T20 International match. Louise was still in school at the time. She was also playing international cricket. Very few people can manage both at the same time. She could. Her T20I debut at the age of thirteen made her one of the youngest players ever.

She later made her ODI debut against South Africa in 2016. By then, she was a little older. But it was her T20I debut that established her as one of the youngest players. She was thirteen years old and already representing her country. That’s rare. That’s special.

3. Lucy O’Reilly (Ireland)

Lucy O’Reilly was born on November 9, 1999. She made her T20I debut against Pakistan on July 8, 2013. This was Ireland’s twenty-ninth T20 International match. She was thirteen years old.

Two days later, she made her ODI debut, also against Pakistan. This was Ireland’s seventy-third ODI. She debuted in both formats within a few days. This is unusual. Most players debut in one format and then play in the other later. O’Reilly did both simultaneously.

She was thirteen years old and playing international cricket in two formats. The game doesn’t care how old you are. It cares whether you can play or not. O’Reilly could play. Ireland needed players, and she was good enough. So she played.

4. Elena Tice (Ireland)

Elena Tice was born on November 16, 1997. She made her T20I debut against the Netherlands in Utrecht on August 15, 2011. She was thirteen years old. Two days later, she made her ODI debut against the Netherlands during the Women’s European Championship.

She became one of the youngest male or female players to debut in any official ODI or T20I match. This is a significant record. Cricket has been played for over a hundred years. To be among the youngest players in any format is an achievement. Tice achieved this before she even turned fourteen.

She played for Ireland. Ireland has produced many young debutants. The system identifies and utilizes talent early. Tice was a product of that system. She was very young and very good. She played and held her place in the team.

5. Kim Garth (Ireland)

Kim Garth was born on May 21, 1996. She made her ODI debut against New Zealand on July 18, 2010. She was fourteen years old. Later in 2010, she made her T20I debut against Pakistan.

For a time, she held the record for being the youngest T20I player. That record has since been broken, but at the time of her debut, it belonged to her. She was fourteen years old and playing against New Zealand. New Zealand is a strong cricketing nation. Their bowlers are fast and accurate. Garth faced them at the age of fourteen.

She played for Ireland. Like others before her, Ireland selected her at a young age because she was ready. She proved them right. She continued to play for many years. She is still playing. This long career demonstrates that the talent was genuine.

6. Gargi Banerjee (India)

Gargi Banerjee was born on July 20, 1961. She made her ODI debut against England on January 1, 1978, at a time when India was just entering the world of international women’s cricket. Banerjee was sixteen years old.

She was one of the youngest Indian players to debut in the early days of Indian women’s cricket. The sport was new to India at the time, and they needed players who could compete. Banerjee was one of them. She was young, but she was selected.

Her Test debut came much later, in 1984, against Australia. But her ODI debut in 1978 established her as one of the youngest players. She played when women’s cricket was just beginning in India, and she helped shape its future.

7. Shafali Verma (India)

Shafali Verma was born on January 28, 2004. She made her T20I debut against South Africa in Surat, India, on September 24, 2019. At the time, she was fifteen years old.

She later made her ODI debut against England on June 27, 2021. Her Test debut was against England on June 16, 2021, in which she was named Player of the Match.

Verma is now known as one of the most aggressive young batters in women’s cricket. But when she made her debut, she was just fifteen years old. She was a teenager playing international cricket. She scored runs quickly. She hit boundaries. India recognized and utilized her talent. She has been playing ever since.

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