The Women’s Premier League, or WPL, kicked off on February 14 with a match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Giants, and it’s already making headlines. For one, a young player has set a pretty impressive record – and we’re not even talking about the winning team yet. V J Joshita, an 18-year-old cricketer, has become one of the youngest players to make her WPL debut, joining the likes of Shabnam Shakil and Parshavi Chopra. So, what’s the big deal about Joshita, you ask? Well, she’s now the third-youngest player to debut in the WPL, and that’s no small feat.
Setting the Record Straight
Joshita made her WPL debut at just 18 years and 205 days old, playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore. To put that into perspective, Shabnam Shakil, who debuted last year for Gujarat Giants, was just 16 years and 263 days old when she made her debut – and she still holds the record for the youngest debutant. Parshavi Chopra, who played for UP Warriors in 2023, comes in second, having debuted at 16 years and 312 days old. Joshita’s achievement is still pretty impressive, considering she’s now part of an elite group of young cricketers who have made their mark on the WPL. Here’s how the top five youngest debutants in the WPL stack up:
* 16 years, 263 days – Shabnam Shakil (Gujarat Giants), 2024
* 16 years, 312 days – Parshavi Chopra (UP Warriors), 2023
* 18 years, 205 days – V J Joshita (RCB), 2025
* 18 years, 206 days – Alice Capsey (Delhi Capitals), 2023
* 19 years, 7 days – Shweta Sehrawat (UP Warriors), 2023
A Star in the Making
Joshita’s WPL debut is just the latest feather in her cap. She recently played for the Indian team in the Women’s Under-19 World Cup, where she took six wickets in six matches and maintained an impressive economy rate of 4.46. Not bad for an 18-year-old, right? It’s no wonder Royal Challengers Bangalore snapped her up at the auction for her base price of 10 lakh rupees. We can’t wait to see what she does next.