Shruti Kumari: The IWL 2 Golden Boot Winner Looking to Make Her Mark in India’s Top Tier

The Garhwal United forward’s 10-goal campaign announced her arrival, while her contribution to the club’s subsequent promotion and India U-20 selection underlines her steady rise

Shruti Kumari’s journey through Indian women’s football has been built around goals, development and a series of important milestones. The 20-year-old forward from Bihar first attracted national attention by finishing as the leading scorer in the inaugural Indian Women’s League 2 (IWL 2) in 2023–24, scoring 10 goals in nine appearances for Garhwal United FC. She subsequently helped the club win the 2024–25 IWL 2 championship and earn promotion to the top division.

As the 2026–27 Indian Women’s League begins, Shruti returns to the top flight with valuable experience behind her. She has already completed a full IWL campaign, represented India at the 2026 AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup and demonstrated her ability to score across state and national competitions. The next challenge is to translate that productivity into a more consistent impact against the country's strongest club defences.

Shruti’s breakthrough came during the 2023–24 IWL 2, when Garhwal United competed in the competition's inaugural season. Her most prolific performances arrived in the group stage at SAI Stadium in Kokrajhar, where she produced two outstanding four-goal displays within three days.

On March 25, 2024, Garhwal United defeated AIPL FC 10-0, with Shruti scoring four times in the first half. Her goals came in the 11th, 13th, 26th and 28th minutes, earning her the Player of the Match award.

Two days later, she repeated the achievement against SAI Kokrajhar. Shruti scored in the 21st, 39th, 53rd and 73rd minutes as Garhwal secured an 8-0 victory. It was her second consecutive four-goal performance and another Player of the Match recognition.

She eventually finished the competition with 10 goals in nine appearances, three more than the seven-goal totals recorded by Sreebhumi FC’s Mousumi Murmu and Nita FA’s Sikha Malik.

However, there is an important distinction in Garhwal United’s journey. Despite Shruti winning the Golden Boot, the club finished third in the 2023–24 Final Round and missed promotion. Sreebhumi FC and Nita Football Academy secured the two available promotion places.

Garhwal United returned to IWL 2 in 2024–25 with a clear objective: secure promotion. This time, the team delivered a remarkable campaign, winning all eight matches, scoring 28 goals and conceding just once.

Shruti remained part of the attacking unit, but the goalscoring responsibility was shared differently. Teammate Lhingdeikim Kipgen led the competition with 12 goals, while Sanfida Nongrum and other members of the squad contributed to Garhwal's attacking strength.

Shruti's contribution was particularly memorable in the title-clinching match against Roots FC on May 17, 2025. With Garhwal already leading 2-0 through Lhingdeikim's brace, Deepika Pal created the opportunity for Shruti to score from close range in the 57th–58th minute.

The goal completed a 3-0 victory, confirming Garhwal United as champions and securing promotion to the Indian Women's League.

The distinction between her two IWL 2 campaigns is important: Shruti was the leading scorer in 2023–24, while Garhwal's promotion-winning season came in 2024–25, when Lhingdeikim topped the scoring charts. Together, those campaigns established Shruti as an important part of the club's rise.

A development pathway built around young talent

Garhwal United's progress has been closely connected to the player-development structure of Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools (BBFS). The club's young core developed through a system that emphasised technical ability, collective understanding and attacking freedom.

The breakthrough at state level came in the 2023–24 Delhi State Women's Premier League. Garhwal United went unbeaten across 12 matches, winning 11 and drawing one. They scored 77 goals and conceded only three, before defeating Rangers FC 2-1 in the championship final.

Shruti was part of that young group, which included several players who had trained together at BBFS's Nashik residential academy. Her ability to contribute in different attacking positions became increasingly valuable as the team progressed to national competition.

Initially listed among the midfielders, she has increasingly operated as a right winger or forward. Her right-footed delivery from wide areas, movement into the penalty box and timing of runs have become important elements of her attacking game.

The 2025–26 season brought a different challenge as Garhwal United made their top-flight debut. The club finished with four wins, three draws and seven defeats, collecting 15 points from 14 matches and retaining its place in the IWL.

Shruti appeared in all 14 league fixtures, scoring twice. She found the net against Gokulam Kerala on May 6 and scored again against Sesa FA on May 18, helping Garhwal finish the campaign with a 3-1 victory.

Her scoring output was lower than in the second tier, reflecting the step up in defensive quality and competition. Yet completing the full league campaign gave her valuable experience against established IWL opponents.

She also continued to score elsewhere. During the 2025 Karnataka Women's League, representing Misaka United FC, she registered seven goals, including two braces against Pink Panthers FC. Representing Bihar in the Women's National Football Championship, she scored a hat-trick against Rajasthan in a 6-0 victory in September 2025.

Shruti's club performances earned her a place in India's U-20 setup. She featured in a friendly against Swedish club Älvsjö AIK in March 2026 before travelling with the national team to the AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup in Thailand.

India finished third in Group C, recording a 3-1 victory over Chinese Taipei after defeats against Japan and Australia. Shruti came on as a substitute in all three group matches and accumulated 98 minutes at the tournament.

As Garhwal United enter the 2026–27 IWL season, Shruti's challenge is clear. Her record of 10 goals in the inaugural IWL 2, seven in the Karnataka Women's League and a national championship hat-trick demonstrates her finishing ability. The next step is to reproduce that effectiveness more regularly against top-tier opposition.

At 20, she already has experience of winning a Golden Boot, contributing to a promotion campaign and representing India at a continental youth tournament. For Garhwal United, maintaining their place among the country's leading clubs will require greater attacking consistency. Shruti Kumari will be one of the players expected to provide it.