In a nail-biting Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 Match 17 at Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara, on January 27, Delhi Capitals batter Niki Prasad nearly scripted a stunning chase against Gujarat Giants, falling agonisingly short by 3 runs in a Sophie Devine masterclass.
The 2025 ICC Women’s Under-19 World Cup-winning skipper walked in at 85/5 chasing 175, unleashing a blistering 47 off 24 balls (strike rate 195.83, 9 boundaries) alongside Sneh Rana’s 29 off 15, forging a 70-run seventh wicket stand that had victory in sight. But Devine’s deja vu final-over heroics, defending 9 runs for just 5 while snaring both set batters, sealed another Giants win, their second over DC this season and a historic league-stage double.
Post-match, the poised 22-year-old opened up on her composure under fire, the fine margins, and her resolve to deliver for Jemimah Rodrigues’ side, now fourth with 6 points from 7 games.
Prasad reflected on her entry into a dire chase, crediting partnerships for fueling the momentum. “I think when I walked into bat, we were in a pretty tricky situation, but then I knew if I stayed and, you know, if Chinelle Henry stayed with me, we could just finish the game,” she said. After Henry’s exit, the Delhi Capitals reeled in a dire situation at 100/6 with a required rate of 12+ needed, she linked up with Rana, adapting smartly to the bowlers’ tactics.
Spotting slower, shorter lengths and a sweeper up, Prasad shuffled across, chipped over fielders, and pierced gaps on the tricky Vadodara pitch. “We realised quite early on that, you know, the bowlers started bowling a little bit more slower and a little shorter. I started utilising that, started using my feet and, you know, shuffling and just getting just over the fielder’s head,” she explained, her nine boundaries underscoring the calculated aggression.
Belief never wavered, even as Sophie Devine’s third over leaked 23 runs to ignite hopes. “The minute I walked in, I knew that, you know, we’re just going to cross the line and win,” Prasad asserted, drawing from prior comebacks where DC had nailed similar chases. She and Rana entered the final over brimming with confidence, timing the ball sweetly despite Sneh’s controversial run-out call, given not out on-field with the batter’s benefit.
“The conversation me and Sneh Rana had about that, you know, we’re going to make sure that we cross it today, we’re very confident that, you know, we’re hitting and timing the ball quite well, it’s just a matter of one boundary,” she recalled, staying active amid review delays to strike instantly.
The sting of falling 3 runs short hit hard, yet Prasad channelled it into growth. “Yeah, yeah, definitely disappointed that I couldn’t, you know, cross the line and get that boundary, but then, obviously, it’s a learning for me, and I’m going to, you know, go back and train a little more harder,” she vowed.
Retained ahead of the November 2025 mega auction, the faith from DC boosters fires her up. “It definitely, you know, gives me a lot of confidence that, you know, such a big franchise is putting in so much faith in me. I was just, you know, waiting for that one chance where I could go and, you know, finish the game for DC.”
Prasad’s near-heist underlines her rise as DC’s finisher-in-waiting, her poise boding well despite the playoff squeeze. With Giants leaping to second on 8 points, her words signal more fireworks ahead.
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