Who is Uma Kashvi, the youngest-ever player to sign in the WPL

At the age of 15, when most teenagers are still trying to figure out which academic stream to choose and what they want to pursue in life, one young cricketer has already scripted history.

On Wednesday, October 28, Uma Kashvi became the youngest-ever player to be signed in the Women's Premier League (WPL), with Delhi Capitals picking up the Karnataka all-rounder for ₹10 lakh.

Her signing made her the youngest to earn a WPL contract, surpassing Deeya Yadav, who was 16 when Delhi Capitals signed her last year.

How Kashvi's cricket journey began

Born on April 9, 2011, in Bengaluru, Karnataka, Kashvi began playing cricket at the age of seven and a half. Her journey started at an academy near her home, where the initial focus was on fitness before she moved on to learning the technical aspects of the game.

Her uncle, Sai Satya Vijay, played an important role in recognising her potential. After noticing her talent while playing cricket with her at home, he encouraged her to pursue the sport seriously.

As Kashvi's training became more demanding, the family made adjustments to help her develop as a cricketer. She later joined NICE Academy on the outskirts of Bengaluru, where she trained under coaches Arjun Dev and Kiran Uppoor.

The move also meant changes for her family. While her parents, Vijitha and Praveen Kumar, stayed in Bellandur, Kashvi and her uncle rented accommodation closer to the academy to make her training more accessible.

The family support behind her journey

Kashvi's progress has involved considerable commitment from her family, particularly her uncle Vijay, who left his full-time job in the IT sector and took up part-time work to focus on her cricket and travel commitments.

He has attended more than 500 of her matches, while her mother, Vijitha, has been present for over 400. Working in IT, Vijitha has also managed office meetings from cricket grounds to support her daughter's schedule. Her father, Praveen Kumar, has supported her journey and travelled to matches with her to show his support to her. 

Breakthrough in cricket

Kashvi began attracting attention with her performances in junior cricket. At the age of 12, she scored an unbeaten 217 in a junior club-level inter-school tournament in Bengaluru, showcasing her ability to score big runs at a young age. Kashvi has scored more than 13,000 runs across 560 matches for Bengaluru, including 24 centuries and 68 half-centuries.
 Her performances also earned her leadership responsibilities. She captained the Karnataka Under-15 team and led Bengaluru Blasters in the Maharani Trophy. Kashvi was part of Karnataka's Women's Under-19 T20 Trophy-winning campaign and the team that reached the semi-finals of the Women's Under-19 One-Day Trophy.

She also helped her side share the Karnataka Women's League title. In the BCCI Women's Under-15 One-Day Trophy, she scored 516 runs in six innings at an average of 172. Her tally included three centuries and a half-century.

A new chapter with Delhi Capitals

The signing allows Kashvi to take the next step in her cricketing journey and gain exposure to the women's T20 league. Strong performances in the WPL could also bring her closer to representing India, as seen in the case of Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who earned a place in the Indian national team following his performances in the IPL.

The WPL's next season is scheduled to run from January 14 to February 7, 2027, with Mumbai's Brabourne Stadium and Vadodara's Kotambi Stadium expected to host matches.