Nikki Pradhan embraces leadership role as India take wealth of experience into Hockey World Cup
When Nikki Pradhan first walked into a World Cup in 2018, the biggest challenge was perhaps understanding what it meant to play on hockey’s biggest stage. Years later, as the defender from Jharkhand prepares for her third World Cup, her role has changed.
The experience she once needed to navigate the occasion is now something she can pass on to a younger generation in the Indian team, along with many others. India after all will have the most players with 200-plus international appearances at the World Cup, with Savita Punia having crossed the 300-match mark, while Neha Goyal , Navneet Kaur, Nikki and Sushila Chanu have also made more than 200 appearances. The squad averages 103.55 international matches per player, the fourth highest in the tournament behind Belgium (116.7), Argentina (104.35) and Chile (104.1).
For Nikki, that experience has changed the way she approaches the tournament. “When I played my first World Cup, I didn’t really know how big the tournament was, how to approach it or what to expect. There was more pressure because it was my first World Cup,” she said.
Two World Cups later, she knows what awaits her and, more importantly, feels that experience can help younger players deal with situations that she and her fellow seniors have already encountered. Sushila, who is preparing for her second World Cup, sees that responsibility in similar terms. “We tell the juniors to play as freely as they can. We tell them there is no pressure on them. They should give 100% and play with freedom. Whatever mistakes happen, we seniors will take care of them,” Sushila said.
That relationship between the experienced players and youngsters has also evolved. Nikki feels the gap between the two groups is not as pronounced as it once was, with greater bonding off the field helping strengthen the team on it. “Earlier, there used to be a little more of a difference between the seniors and juniors. Now everyone is moving together,” she said.
But the learning is not one-way. “Some of the young players have very good skills, some have great speed and others have different strengths. When we see them doing something really well, we also try to learn from them,” Nikki added.
With so much experience in the squad, however, the responsibility is not just about guiding youngsters. It’s also about the seniors making sure to bring their own qualities to the team when it matters most.
Besides Savita in goal, Neha and Navneet are two other experienced players whose contributions could prove crucial. Navneet has been on a roller coaster ride since she led Pipers to victory in Women’s Hockey India League earlier this year and Digvijay Singh Deo, vice-president of APL Pipers, believes it will be difficult to contain her.
“She was one of India’s top players at the World Cup qualifiers in Hyderabad and at Nations Cup. She’s not just scoring goals as a forward; she’s also taking responsibility for penalty-corner hits,” said Digvijay. “She also did a fantastic job mentoring the younger players during Women’s HIL.”
Neha’s long-time coach Pritam Siwach also believes her influence goes beyond individual performances. “Neha has a lot of experience, and she will be very helpful to the younger players. The youngsters will definitely learn from her. Neha is like the backbone of the team. She’s someone who holds the team together,” said former India captain Pritam.
Now, the challenge for India’s experienced core is to turn those years at the highest level into an advantage for the entire team.
The experience she once needed to navigate the occasion is now something she can pass on to a younger generation in the Indian team, along with many others. India after all will have the most players with 200-plus international appearances at the World Cup, with Savita Punia having crossed the 300-match mark, while Neha Goyal , Navneet Kaur, Nikki and Sushila Chanu have also made more than 200 appearances. The squad averages 103.55 international matches per player, the fourth highest in the tournament behind Belgium (116.7), Argentina (104.35) and Chile (104.1).
For Nikki, that experience has changed the way she approaches the tournament. “When I played my first World Cup, I didn’t really know how big the tournament was, how to approach it or what to expect. There was more pressure because it was my first World Cup,” she said.
Two World Cups later, she knows what awaits her and, more importantly, feels that experience can help younger players deal with situations that she and her fellow seniors have already encountered. Sushila, who is preparing for her second World Cup, sees that responsibility in similar terms. “We tell the juniors to play as freely as they can. We tell them there is no pressure on them. They should give 100% and play with freedom. Whatever mistakes happen, we seniors will take care of them,” Sushila said.
That relationship between the experienced players and youngsters has also evolved. Nikki feels the gap between the two groups is not as pronounced as it once was, with greater bonding off the field helping strengthen the team on it. “Earlier, there used to be a little more of a difference between the seniors and juniors. Now everyone is moving together,” she said.
But the learning is not one-way. “Some of the young players have very good skills, some have great speed and others have different strengths. When we see them doing something really well, we also try to learn from them,” Nikki added.
With so much experience in the squad, however, the responsibility is not just about guiding youngsters. It’s also about the seniors making sure to bring their own qualities to the team when it matters most.
Besides Savita in goal, Neha and Navneet are two other experienced players whose contributions could prove crucial. Navneet has been on a roller coaster ride since she led Pipers to victory in Women’s Hockey India League earlier this year and Digvijay Singh Deo, vice-president of APL Pipers, believes it will be difficult to contain her.
“She was one of India’s top players at the World Cup qualifiers in Hyderabad and at Nations Cup. She’s not just scoring goals as a forward; she’s also taking responsibility for penalty-corner hits,” said Digvijay. “She also did a fantastic job mentoring the younger players during Women’s HIL.”
Neha’s long-time coach Pritam Siwach also believes her influence goes beyond individual performances. “Neha has a lot of experience, and she will be very helpful to the younger players. The youngsters will definitely learn from her. Neha is like the backbone of the team. She’s someone who holds the team together,” said former India captain Pritam.
Now, the challenge for India’s experienced core is to turn those years at the highest level into an advantage for the entire team.
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