The utilisation of ‘what were you doing when you were a teenager’ to establish the sporting excellence of a teen athlete is now antiquated. In this generation of ‘aura’ and ‘sigma,’ there are examples of 17-year-old Lamine Yamal winning the Euros, or 18-year-old Luke Littler becoming the darts champion.
On the day 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli had his first qualifying stint in a Mercedes F1 car, Delhi Capitals are set to face Mumbai Indians in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) final. And at the heart of Delhi’s campaign stands a 19-year-old who is at the precipice of yet another title. Niki Prasad. Except, she has already won too many.
It was under Niki’s captaincy that India won the Under-19 Women’s Asia Cup in December last year. In February this year, the nation earned its second Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup title. Again, under her leadership.
And now, she is only a step away from another title, with the WPL trophy in sight. Is she prepared? More than she could ever be, as Niki tells The Quint:
I definitely am. I’ve always wanted to play in the WPL, I dreamt of winning matches for my team. I have visualized it many times, so I am ready for it.Niki Prasad
Behind It All, a Mother
That, Niki has led multiple teams barring the India U-19, having won trophies captaining Karnataka U-19 and India A, is owing to an early start, at the age of merely six.
As a kid, I used to go to the playground and play cricket just for fun. Gradually, I started growing interest in the sport and asked my parents to get me enrolled in an academy. They agreed, and that’s how my journey started. I attended trials for the Karnataka side and I got picked for the Under-16. From there, I gradually progressed to Under-19, Under-20 and finally to the senior level.Niki Prasad
Her endearment towards the sport had no academic implications, albeit her mother knew she could only prioritise one to attain excellence.
The biggest role in my career was played by my mother. She knew that I had a keen interest in cricket, so she ensured that I gave my everything to the sport. As she saw the passion growing in me, she never forced me to go to school or study a lot and focus on examinations. She always made sure that I get the best practice, get the best food and I'm prepared for my cricket match rather than my examinations.Niki Prasad
Not that Niki is ever petrified by responsibilities which might seem too momentous for her age. Quite the contrary – she revels under duress. Yet, she is also candid enough to acknowledge the weight of expectations.
At the age of 19, I have already gained a lot of experience because I started playing when I was so young. Having said that, it comes with a lot of expectations. In my first year in the Under-23, I was the second-highest run-getter for Karnataka. After that season, everyone had a lot of expectations from me and if there were a few games where I couldn't score, there were talks about me not focusing on cricketer and not being able to get any better. When you play high-level cricket at a very young age, you know that you're going to learn a lot of things and you know that you're going to get good experience, of course, but it also comes with a lot of other pressure and expectations.Niki Prasad
The Tribulation, Followed by the Triumph
The disadvantage of being a prodigy is that you are consistently running the risk of being written off at the first available opportunity. Niki, having been told she is meant for greatness throughout her formative years, found herself at wit’s end not very long ago. India’s squad for the 2023 Under-19 T20 World Cup was announced, and her name was nowhere to be found.
I think the biggest rejection I have faced in my career was not getting selected in my first attempt for the U19 World Cup. I think that made me the person I am right now. I do believe that downfall was a good thing in my life. For a brief moment, it was quite difficult to deal with that feeling of rejection. But after that, I knew that if I was to play at a higher level I needed to change a few things. I needed to change my batting style, I needed to get a lot more powerful and I needed to work even harder on my fitness and just stay very strict with my diet and also mentally prepare myself for any situation.Niki Prasad
In hindsight, Niki is only grateful for that – as she calls it – downfall.
That failure made sure that the next time when I go out there, I give my 110% for the team. It was a phase of my life that really put me into a different zone and I started working harder than ever before. There were a lot of things which I had to change about my lifestyle. The mindset I have now is to give my best every single day, regardless of which team I’m playing for. Had it not been for the downfall, I would not have been the person that I am today.Niki Prasad
Barely two years down the line, not only was Niki selected for the squad, but she captained the team to glory. Reflecting on the triumph that followed the tribulation, she said:
Winning the U-19 World Cup was quite special, especially because it was India’s second U-19 World Cup win in a row. I'm proud that me and my team were successful in defending the title. Definitely, it is one of my proudest achievements.Niki Prasad
WPL: A Learning Curve
Though her WPL appearances have been limited – playing seven matches but batting only twice for 53 runs – Prasad has absorbed invaluable lessons from cricket's elite.
One thing that I have learned from the legends is that no matter what they've achieved, no matter how many titles they've won, they remain very humble to everyone. That’s the biggest quality one can inculcate. No matter the success, no matter the failure, you need to stay humble.Niki Prasad
Barring observing the legends, she has formed an indelible bond with Delhi’s 24-year-old vice-captain, Jemimah Rodrigues.
The person I have gelled with the most in DC is Jemi di, because she's fun to be around and she's someone who is always ready to help. She's still young, although she has made a name for herself already. There are a lot of things you can learn from her and obviously, the shots which she plays. I want to play the shot she plays over covers. But besides cricket, I want to learn how she makes everyone feel comfortable around her. I want to have that quality in me too.Niki Prasad
On Short-Term Goals and Long-Term Vision
The only instance where Niki faced fellow finalists Mumbai Indians’ bowlers also happened to be her debut game for Delhi. Chasing 165, Delhi were reeling at 76/4 when the teenager played a match-winning knock of 35 runs from 33 deliveries.
Reflecting on it ahead of the final, she says:
Before the game, I knew that I was going to play and make my debut. The coaches and the players told me to have fun and give my best. When I walked in, I saw the situation was a little dicey. But I knew that if I keep batting, if I keep building partnerships, we are going to win this and that's what I had believed and that's what I wanted to do for the team. I just focused on getting those runs and building partnerships with the other batters. Thankfully, I won the match for my team.Niki Prasad
Cometh the final, she wants to replicate the feat.
I want to go out there and express myself freely. I'm always going to give my 100% and make sure that I contribute to the team in every way I can for us to win the trophy.Niki Prasad
That, though, is about today. Niki's ambitions stretch far beyond.
As for my long-term goal, I think definitely it is not just playing for India, but also winning matches for India. I see myself as a match-winner. Then, the ultimate goal is to win the senior World Cup.Niki Prasad