Vaibhav Suryavanshi made history by making his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut at the age of just 14, becoming the youngest player to ever play in the IPL. Almost a year after Vaibhav's historic achievement, a new record has been set for the youngest player to debut in the Women's Premier League (WPL 2026). Sixteen-year-old Diya Yadav achieved this feat on Tuesday, January 20, by making her debut in the match between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals in Vadodara. With this, the young batter, playing for Delhi, has etched her name in the WPL record books.
Youngest player bought in the WPL 2026 auction
16 years and 103 days 💙❤️
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) January 20, 2026
Deeya Yadav, youngest-ever WPL player🔥 pic.twitter.com/BKUWWkUv13
In the WPL 2026 auction held in November 2025, Diya Yadav grabbed headlines when Delhi Capitals bought her for her base price of ₹10 lakh. This also made her the youngest player to be bought in the WPL auction. However, her debut was awaited, and it didn't happen in the initial matches of the WPL 2026 season. But after suffering three losses in their first four matches, Delhi Capitals finally gave the young batter Diya Yadav a chance.
Who Is Diya Yadav?
Diya Yadav hails from Haryana, but she has already established herself as one of the most promising young batters in Indian women's cricket. Her fearless approach and consistent performances at the domestic level have made her a popular choice among talent scouts from all WPL teams. Diya Yadav had a stellar season in the 2025-2026 Senior Women's T20 Trophy, where she scored nearly 300 runs in eight matches at a strike rate of over 130.
This performance is particularly impressive considering her age and the fact that she was batting against older and more experienced players. She also performed exceptionally well playing for North Zone in the Senior Inter-Zonal T20 Trophy, where she scored over 150 runs and helped her team reach the final.
Youngest players to make WPL debut
| # | Player | Age | For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diya Yadav | 16 years and 103 days | Delhi Capitals |
| 2 | G Kamalini | 16 years and 213 days | Mumbai Indians |
| 3 | Shabnam Shakil | 16 years and 263 days | Gujarat Giants |
| 4 | Parshavi Chopra | 16 years and 312 days | Mumbai Indians |
| 5 | Alice Capsey | 18 years and 205 days | Delhi Capitals |
Deeya Yadav Became The Youngest Player To Debut In The WPL
It had to be Dilli. It had to be Shafali handing her the cap 💙❤️
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) January 20, 2026
Go well, Deeya 👊 pic.twitter.com/0mpN4TXzjQ
In the 13th match of WPL 2026, Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals faced each other. In this match, Delhi Capitals included right-handed batter Diya Yadav in their playing eleven for the first time. With this, at just 16 years and 103 days old, Diya Yadav became the youngest player to debut in the WPL. Diya broke the record of G Kamalini, who had debuted in the WPL 2025 season at the age of 16 years and 213 days. Coincidentally, just before Diya's debut, Kamalini was ruled out of WPL 2026 due to injury, and Mumbai Indians replaced her with 20-year-old Vaishnavi Sharma. Vaishnavi also made her debut in the same match.
Also Read: Will Scotland replace Bangladesh in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026?
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