Youth cricket academy

U19 T20 Challenger Trophy: Niki Prasad’s voice, brimming with joy and excitement, confidently conveyed the thrill of her captaining India in the inaugural U19 Women’s Asia Cup, ahead of their campaign beginning against Pakistan in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

“To be honest, I’m feeling really happy. We just had a match against the South Africa team and we won the championship (by eight wickets in Pune) and that’s when the squad was announced. So, I’m like double happy right now and really excited to go out there and play the Asia Cup and win the Cup for India,” she said in an exclusive conversation with IANS.

Niki’s appointment as India U19 captain for the Asia Cup, following her unbeaten 49 and victory leading the India B team in the U19 tri-series in Pune, is a delightful moment for the right-handed batter who bowls off-spin.