"I Was Dreaming Of This Day": Niki Prasad Reflects On Memorable India Debut

India youngster Niki Prasad said she had been dreaming of making her India debut after producing a composed knock against Zimbabwe in the first women's T20I at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium. Prasad spoke to the broadcasters ahead of the second T20I in Raipur on Sunday and reflected on her journey from leading India to the U-19 Women's T20 World Cup title in 2025 to making an impressive start to her senior international career. Prasad, who scored an unbeaten 39 off 35 balls on debut, expressed satisfaction with her performance in the series opener.

"Definitely, that innings has given me a lot of confidence and, going forward, whatever opportunity I get, I will stick to my basics and play according to the merit of the ball," Prasad told the broadcasters ahead of the second match.

When asked about her journey and how she is preparing mentally for the next stage of her career, the 20-year-old said:

"You know, I was just dreaming of this day. The preparation for this journey was quite hard, and I think that hard work has paid off. I just want to keep growing from here."

Prasad has been part of the Delhi Capitals setup for the past two seasons and has shown glimpses of her talent. She credited the Women's Premier League and India A matches for helping her handle pressure situations.

"I think these franchise games and also the India A matches organised by the BCCI have given me a lot more confidence because I was already exposed to pressure situations in those games. So, it feels quite similar here."

With India leading the series 1-0, the hosts have an opportunity to seal the contest with a match to spare.

India were pushed hard in the opening game after losing their top four batters for single-digit scores. Prasad said the batting group is focused on keeping things simple in the second match.

"I think it's pretty simple. We just need to stick to our strengths and execute our plans even better when we bat," she said.

India were asked to bowl first by Zimbabwe in the second T20I. Both teams remained unchanged, with India looking to clinch the series before the third and final match on Tuesday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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