Top 5 Youngest Women Players in WPL History (2026 List)

The Women’s Premier League is three years old. It started in 2023.

The Women’s Premier League is three years old. It started in 2023. It has created opportunities for young players that didn’t exist before. Now, girls who are sixteen, seventeen, or eighteen years old can play professional cricket alongside international stars. They can learn from the best players. They can earn money. They can build their careers even before they turn twenty.

As of 2026, the five youngest players in WPL history were born between 2007 and 2009. These teenage girls are playing against women who have represented their countries for years. Age doesn’t matter if you can perform. These five have shown that they can perform. Their domestic records prove it. Their WPL selections prove it. Their debuts prove it.

1. Deeya Yadav

Diya Yadav was born on October 9, 2009. In 2026, she is sixteen years old. The Delhi Capitals Women bought her for one million rupees in the WPL 2026 auction. She became the youngest player ever selected in the WPL auction. No player younger than her has been chosen.

In the 2025 Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, she scored 298 runs. Her average was nearly sixty. An average of sixty in domestic T20 cricket at the age of fifteen is a remarkable achievement. Most batters at that age struggle against senior bowlers. Yadav dominated them.

Her age and performance made her one of the most promising uncapped talents ahead of the WPL 2026. Scouts watched her domestic matches. They observed her technique and temperament. They saw that she could handle pressure. The Delhi Capitals bid for her because they believed that, despite being only sixteen, she could immediately contribute to the team.

Being the youngest player selected comes with the burden of expectations. Media attention increases. Comparisons with other young stars begin. Yadav will have to manage all of this while continuing to improve her game. If she does, her career could last fifteen or twenty years.

2. Shabnam Shakil

Shabnam Shakil was born on June 17, 2007. She will turn eighteen in 2026. Gujarat Giants signed her for the WPL 2024. She became one of the youngest players to debut in the WPL at the age of sixteen.

She bowled well right from the start. Against UP Warriorz, she took three wickets for just eleven runs. That spell proved to be match-winning. Taking three wickets for eleven runs at the age of sixteen in professional cricket shows control and skill far beyond her years.

She was also a member of India’s Under-19 World Cup-winning team. Winning the Youth World Cup is often an indicator of future international success. The best young players compete there. Shakil performed brilliantly. Her bowling raised early hopes for her future in international cricket.

She earned her place on this list because she debuted at the age of sixteen and performed well immediately. Many young players take time to adjust to professional cricket. Shakil didn’t. She started taking wickets from her very first matches.

3. Gunalan Kamalini

Gunalan Kamalini was born on July 20, 2008. In 2026, she will be seventeen to eighteen years old. Mumbai Indians Women signed her for WPL 2025. She became the youngest officially confirmed WPL debutant at approximately sixteen years and seven months old.

This is a record. No one in the history of the WPL has debuted at such a young age. Sixteen years and seven months means she was still in school when she played her first professional match. The transition from school cricket to professional cricket is huge. The standards suddenly rise. The pressure increases significantly. Kamalini handled it.

Mumbai Indians retained her before WPL 2026. Retention shows faith. Franchises only retain players they believe will contribute for a long time. Mumbai Indians are confident that Kamalini will become a key player. Her age means she could play for them for a decade or more.

Being the youngest debutant sets a record that could stand for years. Future young players will be compared to her age at the time of her debut.

4. Happy Kumari

Happy Kumari was born on February 3, 2007. She will turn eighteen in 2026. The Gujarat Giants Women have signed her as a young fast bowler for the WPL 2026.

Fast bowling requires physical strength and technical skill. Most fast bowlers don’t reach their peak until their mid-twenties, when their bodies are fully developed. Kumari is already bowling fast at the age of eighteen. This suggests that she could become considerably faster and more skillful as she matures physically.

She is one of the youngest contracted players in the WPL 2026. She has played in the youth and Under-19 setups. This experience prepares young players for senior cricket. They face better batters. They learn to handle pressure. They develop skills that domestic age-group cricket cannot teach.

She is special because, at the age of eighteen, she has already secured a contract to play professional cricket at the domestic level. Many eighteen-year-olds are still playing college cricket. Kumari is competing alongside international players.

5. Triveni Vasistha

Triveni Vashisht was born on May 30, 2007. She turned eighteen in 2026. Mumbai Indians Women signed her for WPL 2026. She made her debut against Delhi Capitals on January 10, 2026.

She is a left-arm orthodox bowler. Left-arm spinners who can control line and length are very valuable in T20 cricket because many batsmen find it difficult to play against them. The ball spins away from right-handed batsmen, creating edges and opportunities.

She is one of the youngest debutants in WPL 2026, especially for Mumbai Indians. Joining at the age of eighteen makes her one of the youngest players to play in this season.

Making a WPL debut at the age of eighteen is a significant achievement. Getting selected is difficult. Getting a chance to play is even more difficult. Franchises have limited spots. They choose experienced players whom they trust. Vashisht earned that trust so quickly that she got the opportunity to debut at the age of eighteen.

Why These Five Matter?

These five players matter because they represent the future of Indian women’s cricket. They are sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen years old. If they stay healthy and maintain their form, they have a ten to fifteen-year cricket career ahead of them.

The WPL provides them with opportunities that previous generations didn’t have. Before the WPL, young players progressed slowly through domestic cricket and didn’t get much experience against international-level opponents. Now, they are playing and training alongside international players from their teenage years.

Yadav bats alongside experienced players who can mentor her. Shakeel bowls against international batters who can help refine her skills. Kamalini learns from the Mumbai Indians coaches. Kumari improves her fast bowling with professional guidance. Vashisht hones her spin bowling every day.

This accelerated development can produce international players much faster than the previous system. If these five players continue to improve, they could represent India before they turn twenty-one. They could play international cricket for fifteen years. They could become the stars of their generation.