India youngster Niki Prasad said she had long dreamed of representing the senior side, delivering on that dream with an assured unbeaten 39 off 35 balls on debut during the first T20I against Zimbabwe at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. Speaking ahead of the second T20I on Sunday, the 20-year-old reflected on a journey that took her from captaining India's under-19 side to the senior international stage in a matter of months.

From U19 World Cup Glory to Senior Debut

Prasad led the India U19 side to the ICC T20 World Cup 2025 title before earning her senior call-up — a transition that underlines the accelerated pathway the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has created for women's cricketers. 'You know, I was just dreaming for this day, and the preparation for this journey was quite hard, and I think that hard work has paid off, and I just want to grow from here,' she said.

Debut Performance and the Confidence It Brought

Her debut knock came at a critical moment — India had lost their top four batters for single-digit scores before Prasad steadied the innings. The unbeaten 39 proved pivotal in securing the first match and handing India a 1-0 series lead. '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,' she told broadcasters.

How WPL and India A Sharpened Her Game

Prasad has featured in the Women's Premier League (WPL) with the Delhi Capitals for two seasons, and credits franchise cricket alongside BCCI-organised India A fixtures for equipping her to handle pressure. 'I think these franchise games and also the India A games, whatever BCCI organised for us, I think that has given me more confidence because I was already put under pressure in those games. So I think it feels quite similar here,' she explained. This pipeline — U19 circuit to WPL to India A to senior colours — is increasingly the standard track for India's emerging women cricketers.

India Eye Series Seal in Second T20I

India were asked to bowl first by Zimbabwe in the second T20I, with both teams going into the match unchanged. The hosts have a chance to wrap the series up ahead of the third and final T20I scheduled for Tuesday. Prasad indicated the team's approach will remain straightforward: 'I think it's pretty simple to just stick to our strengths and just execute our plans even better when we are batting.' With momentum and a settled combination, India will look to close out the series at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium.