Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced an INR 75 lakh cash reward for wicketkeeper-batter Gunalan Kamalini on September 22, 2026, honouring her role in the Indian women’s cricket squad that claimed gold at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
India’s gold medal match at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin ended in a comprehensive 147-run victory over Sri Lanka. Batting first, India posted 216/3 before dismissing Sri Lanka for 69, completing a dominant title defence.
The triumph was India’s first gold of the Aichi-Nagoya Games and their second successive Asian Games women’s cricket title. Smriti Mandhana led the batting with 79, while Deepti Sharma took three wickets to anchor the bowling effort. Kamalini did not bat in the final, yet her contributions across the earlier rounds were part of the squad effort that carried India to the gold medal match.
What was Kamalini’s role in India’s path to the gold medal?
Born on July 20, 2008, the 18-year-old left-handed batter from Madurai also bowls leg spin and keeps wicket, giving India a versatile option throughout the tournament. She appeared in India’s group-stage win over Japan, where she scored 0 off 2 balls, and then contributed 3 runs in the semifinal against Bangladesh as India progressed to the final.
At the age-group level, Kamalini had already built a strong record before earning her place in the senior squad. She was central to India’s triumph in the inaugural Under 19 Women’s Asia Cup and played a key part in the side that lifted the Under 19 Women’s T20 World Cup title in 2025. On the domestic front, she accumulated 311 runs for Tamil Nadu during their title-winning campaign in the 2024 Under 19 Women’s T20 Trophy.
Her senior international career began in December 2025, making the Asian Games gold one of her earliest honours at that level. Mumbai Indians had already recognised her potential by signing her at the WPL auction for INR 1.6 crore when she was just 16, and she went on to become the youngest player to appear in a WPL match.
Why does the INR 75 lakh reward matter for Kamalini’s career?
Chief Minister Vijay’s announcement places Kamalini among the Tamil Nadu cricketers formally recognised by the state government for international achievement. At 18, she has accumulated honours across age-group cricket, domestic tournaments, franchise cricket and now a senior Asian Games gold, a breadth of achievement that is rare at her stage.
The reward also reflects the speed at which Kamalini has moved through every level of the game. From her record-breaking WPL debut to her Under 19 World Cup medal and now a senior Asian Games title, each step has come within a short span. The state government’s decision to honour her contribution, even in a squad role in the final, signals the confidence Tamil Nadu places in her as a long-term asset for Indian women’s cricket.
India’s back-to-back Asian Games women’s cricket gold medals reinforce the team’s dominance in the region, and Kamalini’s early inclusion in that setup suggests the national selectors view her as a key part of the side’s future plans.
