Niki Prasad, Shabnam Shakil, G. Kamalini – names that may not ring a bell with the average Indian cricket fan immediately, but they are in line to be the Gen Next of stars in women’s cricket. After helping the Under-19 Indian team retain the women’s Youth World Cup in Malaysia last Sunday, they are now gearing up for respective franchises for the third edition of Women’s Premier League 2025.

After a dream campaign with the national team which saw them brushing aside South Africa in a one-sided final, captain and batting allrounder Niki is now set to make her WPL debut with Delhi Capitals. The likes of Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Varma and Titas Sadhu were all at hand to make Niki feel at home when she joined the side in Pune for a pre-season camp ahead of their opener against Mumbai Indians on 15 February in Vadodara.

The maturity and class which the Indian girls showed throughout their campaign is still being talked about in cricketing circles. Speaking to Delhi  Capitals website, Niki said: “The important thing was that we were calm and composed during the final. We just went out there and expressed ourselves. That’s why we looked a more dominating side. My message to the players was very simple: go out there, just have fun, enjoy and dominate.’’

Moving on, the WPL could prove to be a different beast for the younger lot though – where some of them may even have to be ready to warm the benches for a better part of the season. Gongadi Trisha, who became the first batter to hit a century in the U19 Women’s World Cup and went on to become Player of the Tournament, had gone unsold in the last auction.   

“Being a part of WPL team is a great opportunity for the youngsters to learn from other players. I’m very grateful to DC that they have shown faith in me. Coming into this franchise, I’m going to learn a lot and more importantly, will try to contribute as much as I can and win it for the team,” Niki said.  

Asked about the reception she received from her DC teammates, Niki said: “To be honest, I expected that there would be cameras but I didn’t expect players being there to welcome me. But obviously, it made me very happy and I’m thankful to all the players for such a grand welcome.”

Shabnam Shakil, for whom it was the second World Cup triumph, admitted that being a part of the Gujarat Giants in the WPL had helped her in her growth as a player. “There have been plenty of learnings with the exposure to experienced players and foreign players. They helped me a lot, especially in season two when I got opportunities to play four matches. I would say that the Gujarat Giants and the WPL gave me the platform to have a lot of experience and exposure to express myself.”

There will be a lot of expectations from G. Kamalini, the 16-year-old from Madurai in Tamil Nadu, who has been roped in by Mumbai Indians for a whopping Rs 1.6 crores. Known for her power hitting, Kamalini had a dream year in 2024 when he starred for Tamil Nadu in the women’s U19 T20 Trophy.

Left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma, who had a memorable Cup debut with a hattrick and five-wicket haul in the same match against Malaysia, will be Kamalini’s teammate for the Mumbai Paltan. Parunika Sisodia, another left-arm spinner who took 10 wickets in the World Cup and was a player of the Match against England in the semi-final, is expected to shine for Gujarat Titans.

Meanwhile, VJ Jositha – the Kerala pace bowler from Wayanad and another member of the world champions’ brigade – was snapped up by Royal Challengers Bengaluru. ‘’The WPL has given us hope. Cricket is changing and we are changing along with it,’’ said the Kerala girl, who had risen from the ranks after being a net bowler for the Capitals in 2024.