Protect Niki Prasad, BCCI: Be the support a mother gives her child

Niki Prasad made a stunning impression in Raipur with an unbeaten 39 on her India debut. The youngster has grown by leaps and bounds over the last 24 months and looks ready to take her game to the next level and cement her place in the Indian team.

When you look at Niki Prasad, you may struggle to understand the emotions brewing inside her. There is a remarkable calmness about her, a sense of balance in her words and clarity in her actions. She carries herself like someone who has already figured out the answers to the questions life is still asking her. Her India debut against Zimbabwe offered a glimpse of that rare quality.

India were in disarray at 19 for four, a position that could have unsettled even an experienced batter. Yet, Niki looked anything but a debutant. As Deepti Sharma rightly observed, it did not seem as though the youngster was playing her first match for India. There was no visible panic, no desperate attempt to manufacture a miracle. She simply trusted her game.

Deepti departed for 49, but Niki stayed until the job was done, guiding India across the finish line and striking the winning boundary. It was more than a promising debut. It was a statement of character.

Indian cricket has never been short of talent. What makes Niki special, however, is the combination of skill, hunger and composure she has displayed so early in her career. The BCCI deserves credit for recognising her potential and giving her an opportunity at the highest level without unnecessary delay.

But identifying a young talent is only the beginning. The real responsibility starts now.

The BCCI must protect Niki, guide her and give her the freedom to grow. It must be the reassuring presence a mother offers her child: someone who celebrates her achievements, steadies her when she stumbles, shields her from unnecessary pressure and reminds her that one bad day does not define her worth.

Niki has shown Indian cricket what she can become. Now, Indian cricket must ensure that she gets every opportunity to fulfil that promise.

TALENT, HUNGER AND TEMPERAMENT

Rewind three and a half years, and the journey looks considerably less straightforward. India were preparing to celebrate their triumph at the inaugural ICC Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2023, but Niki was not part of that squad. For a young cricketer with ambitions of representing her country, missing out could have been a painful setback.

Instead, her story became one of persistence, development and belief.

Nisarg Naik, one of India's youngest scouts, recognised her potential and backed her to make a significant impact at the 2025 Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup. Niki eventually led India to the title, turning an earlier disappointment into a defining chapter of her career. From missing the first World Cup squad to lifting the trophy as captain, she demonstrated that talent does not always follow a straight path.

Her journey did not stop there. The youngster earned the opportunity to wear India's senior jersey and share a dressing room with established stars such as Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana.

"When I first saw Niki, I could see the talent, hunger and temperament in her. While I wouldn't say I predicted everything would happen this quickly, I always believed she had the potential to go a long way. What has stood out is how quickly she has translated that potential into performances on the biggest stages," Nisarg told India Today.

HOW DELHI CAPITALS HELPED TRANSFORM NIKI

Niki's growth was not confined to India's age-group triumphs. Her stint with Delhi Capitals in the Women's Premier League provided another important platform, helping her understand where her batting could have the greatest impact.

The franchise explored her abilities in the middle order, particularly at No. 5 and No. 6, entrusting her with the responsibility of negotiating difficult situations and finishing innings. It was a significant education for a young batter. At that position, there is rarely the luxury of settling in for long. A player must assess the match quickly, manage pressure and make decisions that can determine the outcome.

Niki embraced the challenge.

Her performances for India A further strengthened her case for senior selection. Against Australia A, she scored a 31-ball 54 in a T20 match, made 76 in an ODI and struck 91 in an unofficial Test. These were performances across formats, against quality opposition, and they made it increasingly difficult for selectors to overlook her.

Nisarg believes the role she was given at Delhi Capitals played an important part in that development.

"Niki always had the ability to adapt and bat at any position the team needed her to. However, Delhi Capitals used her primarily at No. 5 and 6, which definitely helped her understand and realise her strengths in that particular role. They gave her the opportunity to embrace that responsibility, and she has shown how effectively she can finish games and perform under pressure in the middle order," he said.

TEMPERAMENT OF THE HIGHEST ORDER

Niki's composure did not suddenly appear on her India debut. There had been glimpses of it in the WPL, where she was already learning to handle the fine margins between winning and losing.

On her WPL debut against Mumbai Indians in Vadodara, she earned the Player of the Match award after scoring 35. Yet, the contest nearly ended in disappointment, with Delhi Capitals requiring two runs from the final ball. Arundhati Reddy scrambled the necessary runs, ensuring Niki's contribution was not in vain.

Earlier in 2026, Niki again came close to pulling off a remarkable finish, scoring 47 off 24 balls against Gujarat Giants. Delhi Capitals lost by three runs, with Niki falling to Sophie Devine while attempting to find the four runs required from the final delivery.

Against Zimbabwe, Niki found her answer. With India under pressure in her first international appearance, she kept her nerve, chose her moment and struck a stylish boundary down the ground off Tendai Makusha to seal the victory.

"Playing match-winning knocks on both her WPL and India debuts speaks volumes about her temperament. For me, the most impressive thing about Niki is that she doesn't seem overwhelmed by the occasion. She trusts her game, backs herself and stays composed when the stakes are high. Talent gets you opportunities, but the ability to handle pressure is what sets players apart. Niki has shown that she has both," Nisarg said.

The matches in which she fell short of taking her team over the line could easily have fuelled self-doubt. For a finisher, the last ball can be an unforgiving place. But Niki has shown that she learns quickly, turning past disappointments into valuable lessons.

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR FOR INDIA

Niki's arrival comes at an important time for Indian women's cricket. The middle order has often struggled to provide stability, particularly when early wickets have exposed the lower half of the batting line-up. India need players who can rebuild an innings without sacrificing the ability to accelerate when the situation demands it.

Niki offers the promise of that balance.

With Harmanpreet Kaur's international career moving into another phase, India must gradually prepare for the future without placing the weight of an entire transition on any one young player. Richa Ghosh has shouldered considerable responsibility as a finisher, and the emergence of another capable middle-order batter could give the team greater flexibility.

Niki's admiration for Rahul Dravid, whom she has cited as an idol because of his temperament, offers another insight into her approach. Dravid built his reputation on patience, discipline and an ability to withstand pressure. Niki's early performances suggest that she values those qualities, too.

There is also another dimension to her game. Niki can contribute with the ball, having taken a five-wicket haul in an unofficial Test against Australia A and finished as the leading wicket-taker in the unofficial ODI series. That versatility adds another layer to her value and gives India further possibilities to explore as she develops.

BCCI, IT IS TIME TO PROTECT YOUR OWN

Indian cricket has seen gifted youngsters arrive with enormous promise, only for the weight of expectations, inconsistent opportunities or the struggle to recover from setbacks to complicate their journeys. Niki deserves the chance to write her own story without being burdened by those that came before her.

The BCCI cannot guarantee that she will become a world-beater. No institution can eliminate injuries, loss of form, competition or the uncertainties that accompany a sporting career. What it can do is create an environment in which she has the best possible chance of succeeding.

Give her a clear role, but retain the flexibility to let her grow. Provide experienced mentors, quality coaching and opportunities across conditions. Resist the urge to judge her by every innings. Protect her from the noise that inevitably surrounds a young player who captures the public imagination, and ensure that her development matters more than the immediate returns she produces.

Most importantly, allow her to remain a young cricketer learning her craft, rather than turning her into a symbol who must constantly justify the excitement around her.

A mother does not love her child only when the child succeeds. She stands beside them when the world turns critical, offers direction without suffocating their independence and gives them the courage to try again after failure. That is the kind of support Niki needs from Indian cricket's governing body.

There will be tougher days, difficult dismissals and matches in which she cannot deliver the ending she wants. When those moments arrive, the BCCI must remember the composure she showed on debut and offer her the same faith she displayed in herself.

Niki Prasad has taken the first step. She has shown the talent, temperament and hunger to belong on this stage. Now, BCCI, do your part. Protect her without limiting her.

Be the support a mother gives her child. Let Niki fall, learn, rise and discover just how far she can go. Because Indian cricket does not merely need to find its next great player. It needs to care enough to help one grow.