WPL 2026: 16-Year-Old Deeya Yadav Becomes Youngest Player in Tournament History as MI Drop Amelia Kerr

The Women's Premier League 2026 witnessed a historic moment in Vadodara as 16-year-old Deeya Yadav from Haryana became the youngest player ever to feature in the tournament. The Delhi Capitals batter, at just 16 years and 103 days, broke the previous record held by G Kamalini, who was 16 years and 213 days when she debuted last year.

Toss and Team Decisions

Delhi Capitals captain Jemimah Rodrigues won the toss and elected to bowl first against Mumbai Indians. Rodrigues explained the tactical decision, expecting the ball to skid on more under lights with dew becoming a factor later in the game.

Speaking about their young debutant, Rodrigues was effusive in her praise:

"She's 16 but she can smack the ball out of the park."

The Capitals made just one change, leaving out Minnu Mani to accommodate the exciting young talent.

Mumbai Indians Spring Major Surprise

In a stunning selection call, Mumbai Indians left out star allrounder Amelia Kerr for the first time this WPL season. The decision came as part of four changes to their lineup, signaling a significant tactical shift from the second-placed franchise.

One change was forced upon MI as first-choice wicketkeeper G Kamalini was ruled out of the tournament earlier on Tuesday. Her replacement, left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma, earned her debut, while Rahila Firdous—MI's only remaining wicketkeeper in the squad—also made her first WPL appearance.

Pace bowler Shabnim Ismail and Poonam Khemnar also returned to the playing XI, with Triveni Vasishtha and Kranthi Reddy making way alongside Kerr.

Points Table Context

Delhi Capitals entered the match at the bottom of the WPL points table, having won just one of their four matches. However, with one game in hand compared to other teams, they remain in the playoff hunt regardless of this result.

Mumbai Indians sit second on the table but are level on points with UP Warriorz and Gujarat Giants, making every match crucial. RCB remain the only team to have secured their playoff berth, maintaining a perfect record with five straight wins.

Venue and Pitch Report

This marked only the second WPL match in Vadodara this season. The pitch, featuring visible cracks, was expected to play slower and keep lower than the surfaces in Navi Mumbai. The ground presented an interesting challenge with asymmetrical square boundaries measuring 52 meters and 61 meters.

Previous Encounter

These two franchises met just 10 days ago in Navi Mumbai, where Mumbai Indians dominated with a comprehensive 50-run victory over Delhi Capitals. The Capitals will be looking to avenge that heavy defeat on what promises to be a challenging surface.

Playing XIs

Delhi Capitals: Shafali Verma, Lizelle Lee (wk), Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues (c), Marizanne Kapp, Minnu Mani, Niki Prasad, Sneh Rana, N Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma, Lucy Hamilton

Mumbai Indians: S Sajana (wk), Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Nicola Carey, Amanjot Kaur, Rahila Firdous (wk), Poonam Khemnar, Sanskriti Gupta, Vaishnavi Sharma, Shabnim Ismail

Looking Ahead

With three debutants taking the field—Deeya Yadav for DC, and Vaishnavi Sharma and Rahila Firdous for MI—this match represents an opportunity for young talent to shine on the big stage. Mumbai Indians' bold call to rest Amelia Kerr could prove either inspired or costly as the playoff race intensifies.