On Wednesday evening, Sai Satya Vijay sat alone in a hotel room in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, with his eyes fixed on the WPL auction unfolding in Kochi. His niece, Uma Kashvi, was staying in another hotel across town with her teammates ahead of the Under-19 Challenger Trophy, which begins at the Luhnu Cricket Ground on Friday. Back home in Bengaluru, Kashvi's parents, Vijitha and Praveen Kumar, were also watching the auction. When Kashvi's name, listed at No. 68, came up, Delhi Capitals opened the bidding at her base price of Rs 10 lakh.
No other franchise entered the race and, at 15 years and 202 days, Kashvi became the youngest player ever signed at a WPL auction, surpassing Deeya Yadav, who set the previous record at the age of 16 last year.
"I cried for like two or three minutes. It was a moment you were waiting for," Vijay told IANS.
Kashvi's landmark signing reflects the depth of talent emerging in Indian women's cricket. Her journey to a record-breaking WPL contract is rooted in the sacrifices of a family that reorganised its entire life around her dream.
Vijay grew up in Andhra Pradesh and played district-level cricket, though he says the opportunities available to him were minimal. A lack of infrastructure and support eventually forced him to give up the game and pursue a career in information technology.
Yet his passion for cricket never faded. A devoted admirer of Sachin Tendulkar, Vijay celebrates the batting legend's birthday every year and has preserved photographs of all 100 of Tendulkar's international centuries.
"I can't say I am a fan. I am a devotee of Sachin Tendulkar," he said.
Born on April 9, 2011, just days after India lifted the ODI World Cup, Kashvi displayed sporting talent from an early age. Vijay noticed that she picked up skills quickly, both in the classroom and on the field.
In 2019, he enrolled her in a local cricket academy when she was seven-and-a-half years old. Recognising that young children often lack the strength to clear the boundary, the focus was initially on fitness and technique.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Kashvi's routine began at 5.30 a.m. with fitness training before school. Her evenings were spent learning the finer aspects of the game and facing around 30 overs of side-arm throwdowns from Vijay.
"She used to get one body blow per day, for sure," he recalled.
During the pandemic, Vijay used empty practice nets to refine her technique, particularly her pull shot.
"I used to tell her, 'You are a female Rohit Sharma. Same pull shot,'" he said.
With limited opportunities in girls' cricket, Kashvi frequently played alongside older boys. In many of her first 100 matches, she batted at No. 11, bowled only a couple of overs and often kept wicket.
Her breakthrough came when former India captain Shantha Rangaswamy included her in the India Nippon Cup, a tournament featuring a mix of international stars and local talent.
At the age of nine, Kashvi shared a dressing room with players such as Veda Krishnamurthy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma and Shreyanka Patil.
Current NICE Academy coach Arjun Dev initially questioned why such a young player had been selected, but changed his view after seeing her in action.
"Everyone knew that she had the talent, she had the skill," he said.
Kashvi went on to win the Young Talent Award in the tournament, while former India captain Mithali Raj is said to have offered valuable advice on how to build a successful career.
Her development has been supported by significant sacrifices from those closest to her.
Her mother, a senior manager at a multinational company, turned down promotions that would have required extensive travel. Her father left salaried employment to start his own business, giving him more flexibility to support her cricket commitments. Vijay, meanwhile, stepped back professionally and now works as a consultant.
For the past two-and-a-half years, the family has effectively lived apart to accommodate Kashvi's training schedule at NICE Academy near Bengaluru airport.
"It is very, very tough. As a family, you don't stay together," Vijay said.
Education has also been adapted around cricket. During Class 8, Kashvi attended school for only 21 days and now studies through an open-schooling programme while pursuing her sporting ambitions.
On the field, the results have been extraordinary.
In the 2025-26 Under-15 One-Day Trophy, she topped the run-scoring charts with 516 runs at an average of 172, including three centuries. One of those knocks was an unbeaten 158 off 66 balls against Manipur.
She has since represented Karnataka at Under-19 level and earned an India Under-19 call-up against Sri Lanka, taking six wickets across the T20 and one-day series.
Earlier this month, she starred with 3/18 against Vidarbha in the Under-19 T20 quarter-final and was named Player of the Match.
Despite the rapid rise, those guiding her development remain cautious.
"If you jump the gun and try to take a faster, steeper step, and if you fail there, the fall will be very bad," Vijay said.
For coach Arjun Dev, the focus is less on technique and more on confidence.
"I think she undervalues her talent and ability a little bit. Our job has honestly been to push her out of her comfort zone," he said.
Her WPL selection came as a surprise even within cricket circles. Following the announcement, Karnataka and India teammate Shreyanka Patil was among the first to congratulate the family, while Jemimah Rodrigues welcomed Kashvi to Delhi Capitals.
Vijay admitted he had hoped she would join Delhi because of the franchise's reputation for nurturing young talent.
Former India captain Shantha Rangaswamy believes Kashvi possesses the qualities needed to succeed at the highest level.
"People who haven't watched her, please hold your breath. I can assure you she will be the talk of the town in the days and years to come," she said.
Kashvi models her game on world-class all-rounders such as Ashleigh Gardner and Hayley Matthews, aspiring to become a cricketer capable of winning matches with both bat and ball.
The coming months will bring new challenges, from the Under-19 World Cup to the expectations that accompany a record-breaking WPL contract. For now, however, the recognition is reward enough for Kashvi and the family that helped make her journey possible.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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