Niki Prasad’s All-Round Promise — Coach Vinayak Explains the Work Behind Her Rise ahead of Zimbabwe WT20Is

Niki Prasad and her coach, Vinayak Havalappagol
Niki Prasad and her coach, Vinayak Havalappagol (PC: Niki Prasad Insta, Vinayak Insta)

India entered the ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup in 2025 as defending champions, with Niki Prasad entrusted with the responsibility of leading the side. Appointed captain in December 2024, she had already guided India to the Asia Cup title before leading the Women in Blue to their second successive U19 T20 World Cup crown.

Since then, Niki has continued to make strides: from earning a WPL contract with Delhi Capitals (DC) and featuring in two finals to delivering impressive domestic performances, winning the inaugural Maharani Trophy (Karnataka’s state T20 league) Player of the Tournament award and shining for India A. The 20-year-old has now earned her maiden call-up to the senior Indian team for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe at home.

With her all-round abilities and recent form, Niki will be one to watch. In an exclusive interaction with RevSportz, her coach, Vinayak Havalappagol, expressed his delight at her selection and explained why she deserves the opportunity.

“I am very happy. She is very talented and deserves it. Her mother is also very happy and for Niki, it’s a huge opportunity. She did so well against Australia A in all formats. Now, all we can hope is that if she does well in T20Is against Zimbabwe, then in future she might be in contention for the ODIs and Test matches as well.”

Niki’s performances in the recent India A Women vs Australia A Women series underline her growing potential. She began with an unbeaten 54 off 31 balls at a strike rate of 174.19, followed by an unbeaten 32 at a strike rate of 145.45 in the first ODI. She also scored 76 off 71 balls in the third ODI, helping India A complete a record-breaking chase of 363.

Captain Niki Prasad with the U-19 Women's T20 World Cup
Captain Niki Prasad with the U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup (PC: Niki Prasad/Insta)

In the only Test, she added another impressive performance, scoring 91 off 112 balls and sharing a 111-run partnership with Tanisha Singh for the sixth wicket to help India A cross the 350-run mark in the first innings.

Beyond the numbers, her batting position and strike rates stand out. Operating at No. 6 or 7, she has embraced the finisher’s role, particularly in the white-ball formats. According to Vinayak, her improvement in power-hitting and strike rotation has come through advanced drills and match simulations.

“We have worked on advanced drills. It helps a lot in white-ball formats, especially in terms of strike rate and power-hitting. Every day, a minimum 2-3 hours we have practiced. We have also focused on how to play in a match condition, how to tap and go for singles. She has worked a lot at bat speed as well and all these match simulations have helped her to improve her strike rotation. The best part of Niki is that she is very mature and her mindset is quite different compared to others.”

Her bowling has been equally impressive. With her off-spin, Niki claimed nine wickets across three matches in the Australia A series, including a four-wicket haul. She followed that up with seven wickets in the only Test, including a five-wicket haul in the second innings. She had also chipped in with two wickets in the T20Is.

Vinayak praised her ability across formats and expressed hope that DC would utilise her as a bowler in the upcoming WPL season.

Niki Prasad for DC in WPL
Niki Prasad for DC in WPL (PC: BCCI)

“She is such a good bowler in all formats. She got the opportunity and used it. After the first WPL season, I asked, ‘Why didn’t she get a chance to bowl?’ They (DC) told she is still young, she can bowl next year. Now, this year, hopefully, they will use her as a bowler as well.”

Retained by DC for the upcoming season, Niki has made a steady contribution as a lower-middle-order batter. Across the last two WPL seasons, batting between No. 6 and No. 8, she has scored 153 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 119.53.

Vinayak also stressed the importance of developing her bowling, believing it could strengthen her case for a regular place in the senior Indian team. With enough competition for top-order positions, her all-round ability could help her establish herself in the lower middle order.

“Earlier, we talked about it in the Indian team, which slot will be empty and we have to work on the skills keeping that thing in mind. If she bowls more, she will get more chances in the middle order.”

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The post Niki Prasad’s All-Round Promise — Coach Vinayak Explains the Work Behind Her Rise ahead of Zimbabwe WT20Is appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.



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