Kiran Navgire's big-hitting fireworks lit up the MCA Stadium in Pune during the crucial match of the Women's T20 Challenge 2022 played between Velocity and Trailblazers on May 26.
Chasing a mammoth total of 191 runs against the Trailblazers at the MCA Stadium, the 26-year-old Velocity batter hit the fastest fifty in the Women's T20 Challenge.
Navgire reached her record fifty with a six off just 25 balls, as she shattered Shafali Verma's record for the fastest fifty in the Women's T20 Challenge in 30 balls.
The Maharashtra batter hit five fours and five sixes during her blistering knock of 69 runs in just 34 balls against Trailblazers.
However, she couldn’t win the match for Velocity, as Trailblazers won the match by 16 runs but the side has qualified for the Women's T20 Challenge 2022 final. They will now face Supernovas in the final.
Recently, she revealed that Dhoni's famous World Cup-winning six changed her life, as after that victory the Solapur athlete decided to take up cricket as her career. She idolized Indian cricket legend MS Dhoni and is deeply impressed by his calmness and ability to hit sixes.
Kiran Navgire told bcci.tv: “I really feel good when I hit sixes and whenever I practice in the nets. I practice hitting sixes, I follow Dhoni sir and I love finishing like him, hitting big sixes. I watched the 2011 World Cup final and Dhoni sir's winning sixer is something that impressed me and remained imprinted in my head. That six inspired me and I always feel that in every match, I can hit a six like that.”
She further added, “I don't like playing dot balls and want to score something off every ball and hence I got a good score. In domestic cricket, I hadn't batted up the order but I had a good season there and had some good scores. My game revolves around my power-hitting ability and if it's in my arc, I send it out of the park and if there are good balls, I like to rotate strikes playing singles and doubles.”
Navgire admitted that she was a bit nervous at the start, as it was her debut season, but Velocity coach Devika Palshikar's advice really helped her.
She signed off by saying, “Initially, I was a bit nervous but then everything settled down. The captain (Deepti Sharma) and teammates gave me a lot of confidence. Coach Devika ma'am said 'you don't need to look at the bowler but at the ball and I did just that.”
(With PTI Inputs)
