'A different kind of pride': Niki Prasad seals India debut with winning boundary

Niki Prasad’s debut ends with a match-winning moment

Niki Prasad called it “a different kind of pride” to score the winning runs on her international debut after India recovered from a top-order collapse to defeat Zimbabwe by four wickets in the opening women’s T20I on Friday.

India were 19 for 4 while chasing 115 at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium. Prasad stayed unbeaten on 39, while Deepti Sharma made 49, and the pair added 82 from 63 balls to put India back on course. The hosts reached their target in 15.4 overs, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, with Prasad finishing the chase with a boundary.

Composure through the collapse

Prasad said she focused on building a partnership rather than forcing the pace when she arrived at the crease with India in difficulty. “I think I have been in this situation for a long time. So I was very calm inside,” she said in a video released by the BCCI on X. “I just wanted to make a partnership with a batter.”

She credited Deepti’s attacking approach with helping her settle and take calculated risks. Watching her partner score freely gave Prasad confidence to widen her own shot selection, she said.

WPL experience prepared her for the pressure

The 20-year-old also pointed to her experience in the Women’s Premier League and domestic tournaments as important preparation for the step up to international cricket. Playing on larger stages, she said, had exposed her to pressure and helped her learn from mistakes.

“Coming here, I don’t feel so much pressure because of WPL and other tournaments that the BCCI does,” Prasad said, describing those opportunities as a valuable platform over the past two years.