Niki Prasad made history in Indian women’s cricket on Sunday, October 18, 2026, by becoming the first Indian woman to take a wicket with the very first delivery of her international bowling career. She achieved this milestone during the second T20I against Zimbabwe at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur. The record came just two days after her senior international debut for India, making her early journey with the team particularly memorable. Her achievement added another important moment to her growing cricket career.
Prasad made her bowling debut even more special by taking another wicket with her very next delivery. She claimed two wickets in her first two international balls and completed her spell with figures of 2 wickets for 7 runs in 2 overs. Her economy rate was 3.50, showing how effectively she used her opportunity against Zimbabwe. While the first-ball wicket was the main milestone, the second breakthrough made her performance even more remarkable. It followed a valuable batting contribution in her first international match.
Before setting this bowling record, Prasad made her senior international debut on Friday, October 16, 2026, in the first T20I against Zimbabwe. The match was played at the same stadium in Raipur, where India captain Smriti Mandhana presented her with her senior India cap. Prasad had progressed through state cricket and captained India’s junior teams before earning the chance to represent the senior side. Her debut marked an important step in her career, but the match soon became a difficult test as India began chasing a target of 115 runs.
India’s top order struggled during the chase, and the team fell to 19/4 within 19 balls. Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma and Harmanpreet Kaur were among the batters dismissed during the early collapse. With India needing a partnership to recover, Prasad joined experienced all-rounder Deepti Sharma at the crease. The young batter stayed calm and focused on rebuilding the innings instead of rushing her shots. Their partnership became important as India tried to recover from losing four wickets for just 19 runs.
Prasad and Sharma added 82 runs together, helping India move closer to the target. Prasad remained unbeaten on 39 runs off 35 balls and played a key role in the recovery. She also hit the winning boundary as India secured a four-wicket victory over Zimbabwe. Her contribution was particularly valuable because she arrived at the crease when India were struggling at 19/4. By staying until the end and working with Sharma, she helped turn a difficult start into a successful debut.
Two days later, Prasad made another major contribution, this time with the ball. Her first international delivery brought a wicket, and she followed it with another breakthrough on the next ball. She completed her second T20I spell with figures of 2/7 in two overs, maintaining an economy rate of 3.50. The performance gave her a historic record early in her senior career, following the unbeaten innings that had helped India win the opening match.
Niki Prasad’s first two international appearances against Zimbabwe included a match-winning batting effort and a record-breaking bowling performance. Her unbeaten 39 helped India recover from 19/4, while her two wickets in consecutive deliveries created a historic milestone in Indian women’s cricket. These performances showed her ability to contribute under pressure with both bat and ball, making her introduction to senior international cricket memorable.
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Source: femalecricket.com
