G. Kamalini – The unintended cricketer on the quick lane to stardom

On the Chennai Worldwide Airport a number of days in the past, a gaggle of tv cameras arrange store and commenced the same old drill — checking all tools, dragging the worn-down podium into place and strategically arranging microphones to greatest show their organisations’ logos.

An inevitable guessing sport adopted. Whose arrival was the preparation for? Was it a politician? One may hear somebody whispering that it was an actress flying again after a trip.

When G. Kamalini walked out, barely seen behind the mountain of luggage she was pushing, the cameras started rolling whereas passers-by seemed on questioning why there was a lot fuss concerning the diminutive child who seemed like she would somewhat be away from all of the flashlights.

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The ladies’s sport in India has more and more commanded the eye of the nation with achievements like a second-consecutive U19 World Cup title being celebrated with a lot fanfare. Arriving in Chennai somewhat over 48 hours after the ultimate, Kamalini stood by her household and patiently indulged the press.

Practically three hours handed earlier than Kamalini may start her journey residence the place her favorite hen biryani lay ready. Celebrations apart, the household wished to feed their famished daughter who didn’t have one of the best culinary expertise in Malaysia.

“I didn’t just like the meals. I used to eat pancakes and fruit within the morning. Within the afternoon, I used to eat a rice dish I don’t even know the identify of,” she revealed, in a chat with The Hindu.

The 16-year-old, now well-fed and fairly rested, recalled the World Cup triumph and the social gathering, which concerned cake, chips, coca cola and dancing until 1am, with glee.

Shiny lights, large metropolis

It was all properly deserved. Kamalini was the third-highest run-getter (143) within the event, in a sport she took up purely by likelihood. A skater till the age of 12, cricket was a lockdown pastime as she started to bowl to her brother, Dominic Kishore, within the nets at their residence in Madurai.

Seeing her aptitude for the sport, Kamalini’s father Gunalan determined to speculate money and time in his daughter’s profession. The intimate and largely conventional confines of Madurai couldn’t accommodate the pair’s large ambitions and the household determined to relocate to Chennai.

“After we moved to Chennai, I didn’t know what was occurring. However I knew that I preferred cricket and what I wished to do. My father took the choice to maneuver as the price of travelling between the cities was larger than simply shifting to Chennai. I simply advised my dad to do what he thought was greatest,” she recalled.

For Kamalini, although, the primary reminiscences of staying in Chennai weren’t very nice.

“Initially, my mom was in Madurai and I used to be in Chennai with my father and brother. The primary place we lived in was essentially the most horrible place I’ve ever seen. However we had no selection as we needed to keep to play within the floor there. After that we moved again to Madurai.

“Later we took the choice to maneuver to Chennai and it has been three years for the reason that transfer. I had some language points initially since there was a distinction within the Tamil dialect spoken in Madurai and Chennai. Over time I received over that and likewise made many buddies right here.”

Kuala Lumpur [Malaysia], Feb 02 (ANI): India’s Aayushi Shukla, G Kamalini and teammates have a good time the dismissal of South Africa’s Mieke van Voorst in the course of the Below 19 Ladies T20 World Cup 2025 closing match, at Bayuemas Oval stadium in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. (ANI Picture)
| Picture Credit score:
ANI

The swap

Kamalini’s father has a lot to do with a variety of foundational selections his daughter took in her early years within the sport. Considered one of them was the right-handed Kamalini opting to coach as a left-hand bat.

“My brother and I had been enjoying within the verandah in the future. We’re each right-handed and within the sport, we needed to play left-handed. When he served underarm, I performed the drive very properly. Then my brother advised my father that I used to be enjoying the [left-handed] drive beautifully and that he ought to strive me as a leftie. The very subsequent day my father advised me to play left-handed. I did and have by no means seemed again.

{The teenager} is comfortably ambidextrous, and never simply in cricket.

“I bowl with each my left hand and proper hand. I write with my left hand and likewise my proper hand. The one factor I don’t do properly with my left hand is throwing.”

A fortuitous coup de maître, in hindsight.

Hid grief

In 2023, Kamalini moved as much as the Below-19 degree and instantly confirmed her mettle. She hit 311 runs in eight matches to assist Tamil Nadu triumph within the Below-19 home event in October. She adopted that with a blinding 79-run knock within the closing of the U19 Tri-Sequence towards South Africa A. Having earned a call-up to the Indian squad to characteristic within the U19 Asia Cup, all the pieces was falling into place for the teenager. However issues quickly unravelled after her father suffered an enormous coronary heart assault, needing open-heart surgical procedure thereafter.

A weak coronary heart however, Gunalan misplaced sleep over the right way to maintain his daughter’s goals intact. His transport enterprise and monetary bearings had been impacted by his hospitalisation. Extra importantly, he was not with Kamalini guiding her by the gears of cricket.

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A choice was taken by the complete household to maintain Kamalini in the dead of night about all the pieces.

“When it occurred, I used to be not at residence, I used to be enjoying for my State. My mom and brother didn’t inform me something. ‘Father may be very properly, he will probably be discharged quickly’ is what they saved telling me. I didn’t have any info past that. Solely after my father totally recovered did I get to know extra particulars, that he went so near loss of life and returned,” she recollected.

“I used to be indignant as to why they didn’t inform me all the pieces earlier than, however they sat me down and jogged my memory what I used to be doing at that second, and the way I might have carried out had I recognized the complete particulars. I used to be indignant however I additionally understood why my mom did what she did.”

Gunalan would agree that he was dwelling his childhood goals by his children. An absence of assist from his household had compelled him to surrender his cricketing aspirations.

He turned that disappointment right into a cussed drive to offer his children all the pieces they wanted. Kamalini’s household’s sacrifices saved fanning the flame of her ardour for cricket. It was not sufficient to bat properly or chip in with some off-spin. Kamalini veered in direction of conserving too.

“Wicketkeeping got here naturally to me and I prefer it so much. As I grew older, I used to be being requested if I used to be a wicketkeeper or a bowler. In a single Below-15 home event, I bowled in two matches and saved wickets in the remainder. Within the Below-19s, I bowled within the T20s and was wicketkeeper within the 50-overs.”

Her U19 coach Nooshin Al Khadeer had an necessary position to play in Kamalini persisting with conserving duties.

“On the World Cup, Nooshin ma’am requested me if I knew why she was making me a keeper. Being fast is one cause, however she stated that I additionally maintain the workforce collectively. I accepted it and commenced to totally deal with wicketkeeping, much more than I did on my battling. It really helped my batting and improved my focus and ball-eye coordination.”

Mumbai calling

Kamalini went to Malaysia for the U-19 Ladies’s T20 World Cup as a famous person. Her versatile stroke choice, footwork and enviable angle assist her set each stage participation on hearth.

Within the public sale previous the 2025 version, Kamalini was registered at a base worth of ₹10 lakh, Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians then sparred for rights to get the very best bid, with MI finally having the final snicker – one price a staggering ₹1.60 crore.

That’s greater than half the ₹2.65 crore purse cash MI had after they sat down for the auctions.

Kamalini has a sensible head on her shoulders. Whereas enthusiastic about getting picked by MI for WPL 2025, Kamalini can be very conscious about benefiting from her probabilities with out setting any large expectations. The previous few months have concerned the corporate of a number of the greatest names within the ladies’s sport in India. The teenager although is unfazed. No pointless respect.

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“I don’t have any favorite ladies cricketers and I’m not saying it with any angle. I can’t be like Smriti [Mandhana], Smriti is Smriti. I can solely be myself. Everybody says I play like Smriti, however we each have our personal types, I can’t play like her.”

So how concerning the males?

“I like Steve Smith and Chris Gayle. I like Smith’s stance and I really like the left-handed Gayle’s hitting energy. And, after all, my first favorite is my brother.”

Her profession to date has been like an infinite teaser marketing campaign for a product that takes the market by storm. Selecting up cricket, turning into a left-hander, and donning the gloves – all the pieces has been by likelihood, or divine intervention relying on the way you need to see it.

The technical experience has been a cheerful by-product however Kamalini is properly and actually on the trail to greatness.