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Kiran Navgire, the hard-hitting opener of Maharashtra and India, has rewritten the record books with the fastest century in women's T20 cricket.
Playing in the Women's T20 Trophy on Friday, Navgire blasted a 34-ball hundred and went on to remain unbeaten on 106 off just 35 deliveries. Her whirlwind knock powered Maharashtra to a thumping win over Punjab in Nagpur, with eight overs remaining, as per ESPNcricinfo. Navgire's knock bettered the previous record held by New Zealand's Sophie Devine, who had smashed a 36-ball hundred for Wellington against Otago in January 2021. With a stunning strike rate of 302.86, Navgire's innings now stands as the only women's T20 century ever scored at a strike rate of over 300. It was complete domination from Navgire, who single-handedly tore apart Punjab's bowling. During her unbroken 103-run partnership for the second wicket, her partner Mukta Magre managed just six runs, as Navgire hammered 14 fours and seven sixes. Maharashtra's chase of 113/1 completed in just eight overs is now the lowest team total to feature an individual century in women's T20 history, surpassing the previous record of 123 in a CSA T20 match where Annerie Dercksen scored 106*. Hailing from Mire in Maharashtra's Solapur district. Navgire first rose to prominence in the 2022 Women's T20 Trophy while playing for Nagaland, when she smashed 35 sixes in the tournament. She also became the first Indian woman to score over 150 in a T20 match, with her 76-ball 162 against Arunachal Pradesh. Navgire earlier revealed that she idolises MS Dhoni and draws her power from her childhood days working on her family's farm, along with the multiple sports she played growing up. Her explosive batting earned her an India T20I debut against England in Chester-le-Street in 2022, but she has not featured for the national side since the Women's Asia Cup later that year. In her six T20I appearances so far, she has batted four times, scoring 17 runs off 19 balls with one not-out. In the Women's Premier League (WPL), Navgire has been a key part of the UP Warriorz setup. Across three seasons, she has scored 419 runs in 24 innings at a strike rate of 140.13, though her average remains below 18. (ANI)
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