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Headline: 17-Year-Old G. Kamalini Makes T20I Debut as India Rest Mandhana in Final Sri Lanka Clash

Colombo, Sri Lanka – The Indian women’s cricket team handed a T20I debut to 17-year-old G. Kamalini in the final match against Sri Lanka, resting star opener Smriti Mandhana. Mandhana, who was named Player of the Match in the previous T20I after a blistering 80-run innings, was sidelined due to a slight niggle sustained during that match. With the series already won, team management opted for a cautious approach, giving Kamalini a chance to shine.

Kamalini, a rising star in Indian cricket, earned her place after a strong performance in the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year, where she was India’s third-highest run-scorer with 143 runs in seven innings, averaging 35.75. Her inclusion highlights her impressive rise through the ranks.

The young batter made headlines earlier when Mumbai Indians acquired her for INR 1.60 crore in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction. She went on to become the youngest player to feature in the WPL at 16 years and 213 days, playing for Mumbai Indians against Gujarat Giants. Impressed with her potential, Mumbai Indians retained Kamalini ahead of the WPL 2026 auction.

Alongside Mandhana, Renuka Singh Thakur was also rested, with Sneh Rana taking her place. Jemimah Rodrigues, recovering from a fever, remained out, while Kranti Gaur was also not included in the playing XI.

Sri Lanka made two changes to their lineup, bringing in Inoka Ranaweera and Malki Madara in place of Malsha Shehani and Kavya Kavindi.

Teams:

  • Sri Lanka Women’s XI: Hasini Perera, Chamari Athapaththu (c), Imesha Dulani, Harshitha Madavi Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Rashmika Sewandi, Kaushani Nuthyangana, Nimasha Madushani, Inoka Ranaweera, Malki Madara
  • India Women’s XI: Shefali Verma, G. Kamalini, Richa Ghosh (wk), Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Sneh Rana, Vaishnavi Sharma, Shree Charani, Arundhati Reddy

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