Tamil Nadu’s women cricketers played under lights at Chepauk on 25 August 2026, when the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) staged a free-entry T20 exhibition between a President’s XI and a Secretary’s XI. The President’s XI won by three wickets, ThePrint reported. The teams were drawn from state senior, Under-23 and Under-19 probables, and TNCA secretary U Bhagwandas Rao described the game as a curtain raiser to a proposed women’s league in 2027, UNI reported.
For girls who want to play and parents weighing whether cricket can be a career, the picture in Tamil Nadu is changing but still thin. This guide covers the state teams, how selection works, the players to follow and what the planned league could mean.
The structure: from club to state
Women’s cricket in the state runs through the TNCA, the BCCI-affiliated association based at Chepauk. The pathway has three state levels: Under-19, Under-23 and Senior. These teams play the BCCI’s domestic tournaments, including the Senior Women’s One Day Trophy and T20 competitions. The TNCA also holds its own white-ball women’s tournaments in T20 and 50-over formats; one round concluded in July 2026, Srinivasaraj said at the TNPL launch.
The weak link is the club base. The TNCA president told ThePrint that the state has about 150 men’s clubs and barely any dedicated women’s clubs, which is why many girls train at private academies or with boys’ teams.
How state selection trials work
The TNCA calls open trials before each domestic season and announces them through its website and the press. A 2021 notice, reported by DT Next, shows the usual format:
- Separate trials for Under-19 probables and for Under-23 and Senior probables, held at the BS nets inside MA Chidambaram Stadium from 7 am.
- Age cut-offs set by birth date relative to 1 September of the season year, matching BCCI rules.
- An application form downloaded from the TNCA website and handed in on the day or emailed in advance to office@tnca.in.
Dates and age cut-offs change each year, so watch for the new notice around June and July, before the domestic season begins.
Players to follow
G Kamalini is the name that changed perceptions. The Madurai-born batter, who also keeps wicket and bowls spin, moved with her family so she could train at the CSK academy, DT Next reported. At 16, she was bought by Mumbai Indians for ₹1.60 crore at the December 2024 Women’s Premier League auction after a base price of ₹10 lakh. That season she had made 311 runs in eight games to help Tamil Nadu win the Under-19 Women’s T20 tournament, and earlier in 2024 she was named TNCA Cricketer of the Year. She made her India debut in December 2025, ThePrint noted.
Other Tamil Nadu players have reached BCCI zonal and challenger squads. The 2025 Senior Women’s Multi-Day Challenger Trophy in Dehradun included Akshara S and SB Keerthana from the TNCA, according to the BCCI squad list.
The women’s league: what has been promised
The idea of a women’s TNPL has been around for a while. In November 2025 the TNCA said it planned one for 2026, after a 2025 plan had not happened. At the July 2026 launch of the tenth men’s TNPL, the president said a franchise-style women’s tournament would come soon, and that the 2026 season would have women’s exhibition matches to assess talent.
Srinivasaraj also said franchise events could follow next year if talent and quality hold up. No format, number of teams or dates have been announced. Until then, the exhibition at Chepauk, streamed on YouTube, is the closest thing Chennai has had to a women’s league game.
For parents and young players in Chennai
- Start with a coaching centre that already fields girls in TNCA age-group events; ask whether it registers players with the association.
- Keep birth certificates and school records ready. Age verification is strict at every BCCI level.
- School and college cricket count. Several state probables come through inter-school and university tournaments.
- Follow the TNCA’s official website and press releases for trial notices rather than third-party posts.
Quick answers
Is there a women’s TNPL?
Not yet. The TNCA held exhibition matches in 2026 and has said a franchise league may follow in 2027.
Where are Tamil Nadu women’s trials held?
Usually at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, after the TNCA publishes a notice and form on its website.
Who is Tamil Nadu’s best-known young woman cricketer?
G Kamalini, who signed for Mumbai Indians in the WPL at 16 and debuted for India in December 2025.
How many women’s clubs are there?
Very few. The TNCA president has said the state has about 150 men’s clubs and barely any women’s clubs.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Women’s TNPL will soon be reality: TNCA president (DT Next)
- Women’s T20 exhibition match at Chepauk (UNI)
- Tamil Nadu still stuck at maybe on women’s cricket (ThePrint)
- Tamil Nadu’s Kamalini bought by Mumbai Indians (DT Next)
- TNCA trials on July 16 and 17 (DT Next)
- Squads for Senior Women’s Multi-Day Challenger Trophy announced (BCCI)
