India debutant Niki Prasad said scoring the winning runs in her very first international appearance was an experience unlike any other, as she and veteran Deepti Sharma combined to rescue the hosts from a dramatic top-order collapse and seal a four-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the opening women's T20I at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur on Friday, 17 October 2026.

The Rescue Act That Won the Match

India were in serious trouble at 19 for 4 while chasing a modest target of 115, with their top order crumbling in quick succession. Niki Prasad, just 20 years old, walked in under intense pressure and remained unbeaten on 39, while Deepti Sharma anchored the chase with a composed 49. The two shared a match-winning 82-run partnership off just 63 balls, steering India to victory in 15.4 overs and giving the hosts a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Niki on the Emotion of a Debut Finish

Speaking after the match in a video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on X, Niki described the occasion as one of profound personal pride. '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.

The young batter added that she leaned on composure rather than aggression when she arrived at the crease. '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,' Niki explained.

Deepti's Aggression Gave Niki the Licence to Settle

Deepti Sharma's attacking approach proved the perfect foil for Niki's measured build-up. While Deepti put the Zimbabwe bowlers under pressure with boundary-hitting, Niki focused on rotating the strike and keeping the partnership intact. '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,' Niki said, addressing Deepti directly.

The WPL Pipeline: How Domestic Cricket Built a Debutant

Niki was candid about the role that domestic structures played in preparing her for international pressure. She specifically credited the Women's Premier League (WPL) and other BCCI-run tournaments for exposing her to high-stakes situations before she faced them on the international stage. '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.

Notably, this underlines the growing importance of the WPL as a proven pathway to the national women's side — a structural shift that has been a stated objective of Indian cricket administrators. India will look to build on their series lead when the second T20I gets underway.