Know your player for AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026: Shilky Devi Hemam

India will kick-off their 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup campaign on March 4 against Vietnam.

As the Indian Women’s senior football team gears up for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup on the field, off the field, let us take a moment to one by one know more about the 26 women superstars that made it to the final squad that’ll represent the Blue Tigresses in Australia.

Although many of us are familiar with the men’s national team and its players, fewer of us are curious about the individual achievements and abilities of each women’s player, unless it’s a significant competition. And, thanks to the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, we’ll get a closer look at one of India’s most gifted defenders, Shilky Devi Hemam.

Shilky Devi’s career so far:

Shilky Devi, who was born in Manipur, did not have complete support from her mom or other family members for her desire to play football. She joined in the SAI Academy in Imphal to follow her goal, nonetheless, since her father encouraged her to do so.

She was so brilliant from an early age that she captained the Indian team to victory in the 2018 SAFF U-15 Women’s Championship at the age of 12.

She also holds the record for the youngest player in the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, having competed at the age of 16. In the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup held in India in 2022, Shilky Devi captained the Indian team.

Shilky started her club career with Gokulam Kerala FC during the 2023-24 Indian Women’s League season. She has established herself as one of the top players in both the IWL and Indian football since her debut. She was named the IWL 2023-24 best defender and the IWL 2024-25 best midfielder.

She has recently moved to East Bengal FC, reuniting with Anthony Andrews, who gave her a professional debut at club level.

She debuted for the senior NT at the age of 16. Shily Devi’s debut for the Blue Tigresses came against football heavyweights Brazil in 2022. She has been a consistent member of the Indian Women’s senior NT team ever since.

What does Shilky bring to the table?

Ever since her debut for the Indian senior women’s NT in 2022, Shilky Devi has been a mainstay in the defense making around 30 appearances in three years. Shilky, like every other player, began her professional career as a forward in SAI before transitioning to Centre-back with the NT. She was the top midfielder of the 2024–25 IWL, as was previously indicated, demonstrating her ability to play a variety of positions.

She started every game in the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers at the age of just 19, and she did a fantastic job repaying the favor to then-head coach Crispin Chhetri. Shilky Devi excels in one-on-one defending and maintains excellent composure while controlling the ball.

Shilky understands the game better and has an excellent passing range for a Centre-back because of her experience playing midfield at club level. She has also been an impressive leader right from her days in youth football.

One aspect in which she could struggle at the tournament is the physicality. Shilky Devi, who is only 20, is not yet at her best physically and could find it difficult to compete with players from countries like Japan.

At only 164 cm tall, she lacks aerial prowess but is anticipated to compensate with her ground defense ability. Shilky Devi is anticipated to remain a significant member of the squad under Amelia Valverde.

Player profile: Shilky Devi Hemam

• Name: Shilky Devi Hemam
• Age: 20
• Place of Birth: Moirang, Manipur
• Height: 164 cm (5’5”)
• Positions: Centre-back, Defensive-midfielder
• Preferred Foot: Right-footed player
• Current Club: East Bengal FC Women

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