The WPL has built a reputation for fast-tracking talent, and the 2026 season could provide another glimpse into India’s future. From a teenage run-machine to a middle-order power-hitter, a late-blooming domestic batter to a pace bowler and batting prodigy, here are five newcomers to look out for.
She announced herself in 2023 with a stunning unbeaten 213 off 125 balls for Haryana against Tripura in an Under-15 one-day championship. On the scouting radar since, Deeya has impressed in subsequent tournaments for both Haryana and North Zone. Still only 16, she is a strong candidate to be in India’s Under-19 World Cup title defence in 2027. Deeya combines clean ball-striking with an evolving power-hitting game that has impressed several coaches in the WPL circuit. Recently, she was part of Haryana’s Under-23 title-winning squad.
A product of Hyderabad’s famous St John’s Coaching Foundation which shaped the likes of VVS Laxman and Mithali Raj, Trisha has already built up an impressive body of work as a top-order batter. She made her Under-16 debut for Hyderabad at just eight years old, and has since progressed seamlessly through the Under-19 and Under-23 levels.
Last year marked her true breakthrough. Trisha, 19, was named Player of the Tournament in India’s triumphant Youth World Cup campaign in 2024, where she became the first woman to score a century in the competition, against Scotland. She finished with 309 runs at an average of 77.25 and added seven wickets with her legspin, underlining her value as a genuine allrounder for UP Warriorz.
At 27, Naik’s WPL call-up is the result of years of persistence in domestic cricket. After starting out in Maharashtra, limited post-pandemic opportunities pushed her to seek a fresh start in Nagaland alongside Poonam Khemnar and Kiran Navgire, where she helped the side rise from Plate group to Elite.
The turning point came in a Pune exhibition match, where her batting caught former India men’s wicketkeeper Kiran More’s eye, leading to Mumbai Indians trials and a subsequent move to Baroda. Two strong seasons at Baroda helped earn her a return to Maharashtra, followed by a stint with Ratnagiri Jets in the women’s MPL, where she opened alongside Smriti Mandhana and was on Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s radar since.
Milly Illingworth, 20, will be playing with her idol Shabnim Ismail for Mumbai Indians•ICC/Getty Images
A fast bowler capable of generating pace north of 115 kph, Australia’s Illingworth idolises Shabnim Ismail, with whom she’ll get to play with this year. Her commitment to pace, however, has come at a cost with injuries hampering her rise, most notably a stress fracture to her back.After initially going unsold, the 20-year-old Illingworth was picked up in the accelerated rounds and marked her WPL arrival in style, producing a career-best 3 for 19 in the WBBL, a spell highlighted by the prized wicket of Marizanne Kapp.
A middle-order batter capable of bowling handy offspin, the 22-year-old joins a growing list of cricketers from Madhya Pradesh (after Pooja Vastrakar, Kranti Gaud, Sanskriti Gupta and Vaishnavi Sharma) who have come into the spotlight in recent years.
Anushka’s six-hitting and her impactful cameos during the BCCI Inter-zonal tournament (where she was the third-highest run-scorer with 155 in five innings) proved to be game-changing. She also showed glimpses of this big-hitting potential during the Madhya Pradesh Women’s League for Bundelkhand Bulls. At Gujarat Giants, Anushka could be that Indian middle-order enforcer.
