Niki Prasad looks to build on strong debut against Zimbabwe

Niki Prasad said she had long dreamed of representing India at senior level after scoring an unbeaten 39 on debut against Zimbabwe. The former India U19 captain credited WPL and India A matches with preparing her for high-pressure situations ahead

Raipur: Indian youngster Niki Prasad said she had been dreaming of representing the country at the senior level after delivering a strong batting performance against Zimbabwe in the first T20I at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium.

Prasad spoke to the broadcasters ahead of the second T20I in Raipur on Sunday about her journey from leading India to the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup title in 2025 to making an impressive debut for the senior side a couple of days ago.

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Prasad, who scored an unbeaten 39 off 35 balls on her debut, was pleased with her performance in the series opener.

“Definitely, that innings has given me a lot of confidence, and going forward, whatever opportunity I am put under, I think I’m just going to stick to my basics and play to the merit of the ball,” Prasad told the broadcasters ahead of the second match.

Asked about her journey and how she was preparing mentally for the next stage of her career, she said, “You know, I was just dreaming of this day, and the preparation for this journey was quite hard. I think that hard work has paid off, and I just want to grow from here.”

Prasad has been part of the Delhi Capitals squad for two seasons and has shown glimpses of her talent. She credited the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and India A matches with helping her handle challenging match situations.

“I think these franchise games and also the India A games, whatever the BCCI organised for us, have given me more confidence because I was already put under pressure in those games. So I think it feels quite similar here,” she said.

With India leading the series 1-0, the hosts had a chance to seal the series with a match to spare. India were tested in the opening game after losing their top four batters for single-digit scores. Prasad said the team’s batting group was looking to keep things as simple as possible in the second match.

“I think it’s pretty simple to just stick to our strengths and execute our plans even better when we are batting,” she said.

India were asked to bowl first by Zimbabwe in the second T20I. Both teams fielded unchanged sides, with India looking to seal the series ahead of the third T20I, scheduled for Tuesday.