Scoring the winning runs on your international debut is a moment every cricketer dreams of. For Niki Prasad, that dream became reality as the young batter held her nerve under pressure to help India recover from a dramatic top-order collapse and beat Zimbabwe by four wickets in the opening women’s T20I on Friday.

India were staring at trouble at 19/4 while chasing a modest target of 115 at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium . But Niki remained unbeaten on 39, while Deepti Sharma produced a crucial 49, as the duo stitched together an 82-run partnership off 63 balls to steer the hosts to victory in 15.4 overs and give them a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

For Niki, who was making her international debut, the victory was made even sweeter by the fact that she finished the chase with the winning boundary.

“I think it’s a very good feeling. To go there and play the first match for India. It’s a great pride, plus it’s a different kind of pride to score the winning run,” she said in a video released by the BCCI on X.

Staying calm when India were four down
Walking in with India in a precarious position, Niki chose patience over panic.

Rather than attempting to force the pace, the youngster focused on building a partnership and giving the team a stable platform for the chase.

“I think I have been in this situation for a long time. So I was very calm inside. And I just wanted to make a partnership with a batter. So the run will be changed easily. And that was the mindset I had inside,” she said.

Niki also credited Deepti’s aggressive batting for helping her gain confidence and gradually expand her own range of shots.

“You played very well in the innings. And even after seeing you, I felt that I could also take a risk by hitting me between 2 and 3 boundaries. So I think this partnership – I think you were playing aggressively and attacking. And that gave me a lot of confidence to stay there,” she added.
WPL experience helps Niki handle pressure
The 20-year-old also highlighted the role of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and domestic tournaments in preparing her for the demands of international cricket. According to Niki, competing on bigger platforms has exposed her to high-pressure situations and helped her learn from mistakes, allowing her to approach her India debut with greater composure.

“I think WPL and playing on other big platforms helped me a lot. Because I have already played in that pressure situation. And I have made all my mistakes. So coming here, I don’t feel so much pressure because of WPL and other tournaments that the BCCI does. So I think it’s a very good platform that I have got from the last 2 years,” she said.
“I think WPL and playing on other big platforms helped me a lot. Because I have already played in that pressure situation. And I have made all my mistakes. So coming here, I don’t feel so much pressure because of WPL and other tournaments that the BCCI does. So I think it’s a very good platform that I have got from the last 2 years,” she said.