How to join girls cricket in Kerala

Step-by-step advice on pathways, clubs, competitions and coaching for getting into girls cricket and women’s cricket in Kerala.

In 2018, the Kerala Under-23 women’s team made history when they beat Maharashtra in the national U23 T20 tournament. They became the first team from the state to win any BCCI competition 👏 

The win was the result of a lot of hard work from the girls and a strong structure in the state that ensures they get plenty of matches. It is only a matter of time before a girl from Kerala makes it to the Indian women’s cricket team. Could that girl be you?

Illustration of girls playing cricket at different stages of their life

Here’s how you can be part of the Kerala women’s cricket team. 

Where to start 

If you’re less than around 12, start by playing sport in school or with your friends. Any sport, it doesn’t matter! It will be fun, and also help you develop motor skills and fitness that you can use if you want to play competitive cricket later. 

Then, once you reach your teens, the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has steps in place to identify and nurture talent. So you start directly with KCA itself, which has lots of good facilities, or go to a private academy. 

KCA organises summer camps and talent hunts for girls at various centres around the state. Keep an eye on the KCA website for details on when and where these happen. 

Some clubs in Trivandrum and Kochi also have women’s teams. You can join them too. And while school cricket isn’t too popular, your PE teacher will likely be able to tell you where trials are happening and guide you on the right path.  

Facilities 

KCA runs a girls academy in Wayanad. There used to be academies at Thodupuzha and Kottayam as well, but those have been closed. School and college-going girls get to stay there throughout the year, study and practise cricket. They are provided with coaching, accommodation, education, food and kits.  

Entry to the academy is via open trials at the district level or talent hunts. 

Wayanad, Kochi and Kottayam are main centres for women’s and girls cricket in Kerala, but coaching facilities are available at all KCA district centres just like for the boys.  

Illustration of a girl standing up to a bully on a cricket field

Selection for Kerala women’s team 

Kerala has Under-16, Under-19, Under-23 and senior state teams.  

The state has a strong pathway structure, with clear step-by-step growth: 

Summer camp ➡ (Club) ➡ District ➡ Zone ➡ Probables ➡ State team

                                                           ↘ T20 league ↗

This route may change soon, as reports say KCA might rejig the zonal stage, but for now, here’s the system. 

In each district, open trials will be held to choose a squad for the district team. 

These 14 districts are distributed across three zones

North zone: Cannanore, Kasargod, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad
South zone: Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Trivandrum, Kottayam
Central zone: Ernakulam, Pallakad, Idukki, Thrissur

In each zone, the districts in that zone play against one another. 

Then, the top players in the district competition are identified, and a combined zonal team is formed. The three zones then play against one another. 

The top players will be in contention for the state probables. 

The inter-district happens at the U16, U19 and U23 levels. 

Alongside these, there are also various other matches held, such as a T20 league and outstation matches. (See below.) These matches have also helped the players to come into contention for state selection.

A final list of probables is prepared before the season, and they are invited to a camp before the state team is announced. 

Other opportunities to develop your game: 

  • T20 Pink Challengers Cup: Introduced in 2020, this was a five-team T20 league and knockout tournament. Matches were streamed as well.
  • Trivandrum District Cricket Association Women’s League: In 2019, the TDCA launched a club competition for junior women. Teams from eight clubs took part: Leo Cricket Club, Sri Tarama Cricket Club, Century Cricket Club, Gandhi Memorial Cricket Club, Zeeros Cricket Club, Falcons Cricket Club, Shine Cricket Academy, Travancore Titans.  
  • A girls junior league at the district level and school programmes are in the pipeline for the next few years. 

College cricket

While KCA doesn’t organise inter-college tournaments, two universities from Kerala generally feature in inter-varsity tournaments. 

  • MG University 
  • Calicut University 

Financial aid & scholarships for girls in Kerala

The KCA takes care of the majority of the living expenses of the girls chosen for the academy, from kits to stay and education. 


Sajana’s Story


While growing up, Sajana played cricket with a bat made of coconut madals and plastic balls. She was just nine years old when her parents, Sanjeevan, an autorickshaw driver, and Sarada, a municipal councillor, sent her to Government Model Residential School in Pookkode village. There, she practised a few other sports too, but in the end, she chose cricket, thanks to her PE teacher.

Sajana was 17 when she began to play professional cricket. In her second attempt, she got into the U19 team. A year later, she made it to the U23 team. 

In 2016, former Indian cricketer Gautham Gambhir gifted her a bat when she fielded for him during a practice session ahead of his Ranji Trophy match. Sajana scored an 84-ball 100 with that bat in an U23 match against Tamil Nadu! 

In 2018, she became the first cricketer – man or woman – to lead Kerala to a BCCI trophy when she won the U23 inter-state T20 title. Months later, she was selected for the T20 Challenger Trophy, but the Kerala floods made things worse. 

Days before the training in Bengaluru, she found herself on a boat being rescued from her home. Somehow, she made sure her kit was fine, and she managed to play in that tournament alongside her idol Jhulan Goswami. 

Today, Sajana is a consistent performer in her state and is among the pool of cricketers waiting to break into the national team


If you have information on schools, colleges or academies that support girls cricket in Kerala, contact us and we’ll add it to this page!

1 thought on “How to join girls cricket in Kerala”

  1. Christin Jacob

    Hopefully in few months or years time this project would be expanded for men’s too.

    Anyways great initiative.

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