Deepti Sharma and debutant Niki Prasad helped India secure a four-wicket win
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. 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.
“I think it’s a very good feeling. To go there and play the first match for India.
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. So I think it’s a very good platform that I have got from the last 2 years,” she said. Because I have already played in that pressure situation. Because of WPL and other tournaments that the BCCI does, so coming here, I don’t feel so much pressure.
And that was the mindset I had inside,” she said. 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, according to Niki. 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. “I think WPL and playing on other big platforms helped me a lot. And I have made all my mistakes.