SportsPosted at: Oct 19 2026 6:03PM


Niki backs learning curve after dream start as India aim for clean sweep against Zimbabwe

New Delhi, Oct 19 (UNI) Niki Prasad has made an impressive start to her senior international career, showing the composure of a seasoned campaigner in her first two appearances for India against Zimbabwe.
The 20-year-old made an immediate impact on debut in Raipur, scoring an unbeaten 39 and hitting the winning runs before delivering another match-winning performance in Sunday's series-clinching nine-wicket victory. Prasad picked up two wickets for just seven runs in two overs, with her first two deliveries in international cricket bringing consecutive wickets.
The feat puts the right-arm off-spinner in an exclusive group of just three players to have taken two wickets with their first two balls at international level.
Prasad’s early success comes after she captained India to their second consecutive ICC Women's Under-19 T20 World Cup title at the start of 2025. India completed an unbeaten campaign in Malaysia under her leadership, underlining her credentials as one of the country's promising young cricketers.
Senior all-rounder Deepti Sharma had praised Prasad's seamless transition into the senior setup after her batting display in the series opener. Her contribution with the ball in the second match offered further evidence of her all-round ability.
Prasad, however, is keen to focus on learning from each outing rather than allowing expectations to weigh on her. “If I keep thinking that my performance is not good, then I think I will play the next matches under the same pressure," Prasad said after India's nine-wicket win over Zimbabwe on Sunday.
"So I think about what the lessons were from a match that didn’t go well and how to apply them in the next match.”
She also credited the team environment for helping her settle into the international setup and pointed to the importance of continuous improvement.
“I think in every practice session and every match, we try to make as many improvements as possible. There were some misfields here and there (on Sunday), but overall, our team’s progress has been really good,” she said.
“This is also my first time with the Indian team. Over the years, I can see how good the team environment has been. And I think Smriti di (India captain Smirti Mandhana) is carrying the same thing forward,” Niki added.
India look to complete series sweep against Zimbabwe
India will face Zimbabwe in the third and final T20I in Raipur on Tuesday, aiming to finish the series on a winning note after securing an unassailable lead with Sunday's victory.
The hosts will look to carry their momentum into the final match while addressing the fielding lapses that surfaced in the second game. Prasad's emergence as a useful contributor with both bat and ball has added another option to India's lineup, and the young all-rounder will have another opportunity to build on her encouraging start.
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