Inspired by Shafali Verma, Nagaland's Navgire shifts focus to singles and twos

The power-hitter from Nagaland has the big hits covered but she needs to work on other aspects of her game

Kiran Prabhu Navgire is practising hard at the Azam Campus in Pune ahead of the women’s domestic season which will begin in October. The fours and sixes come naturally to the power-hitter from Nagaland but the focus of the training sessions has also been on taking cheeky singles and twos.

Kiran Navgire (File Photo)

The record-breaking 35 sixes and 54 fours she hit in seven games last season in the senior women’s T20 tournament brought the spotlight on the 27-year-old opener but the experience of the Women’s T20 Challenge, where she played for Velocity, has changed the way she plays now.

Known to hit effortless sixes from ball one, Navgire has now worked on her technique and also the mindset in order to prepare for an India call-up as well as the women’s IPL league that is likely to be held in 2023.

“I am inspired by the way Shafali Verma has transformed her technique. At 15, when she made her debut, she would just go after the bowler and deal in sixes and fours. With international experience and top-notch coaches around her, she has become an all-format batter who likes to build her innings with singles and doubles early in the innings while also dispatching the loose balls. My strength is the big hits but I need to build the innings and show respect to good balls as well,” said Navgire, who came under some criticism during the last edition’s Women’s T20 Challenge when she got out for a duck playing 13 balls in the final against Trailblazers.

Even though she garnered praise for hitting 34-ball 69 against Supernovas in the earlier game, the manner in which West Indies medium-pacer Deandra Dottin kept her in check with tight-bowling put a question mark on Navgire.

Navgire, after not getting chances from Maharashtra Cricket Association, shifted to Nagaland Cricket Association as a professional in search of better opportunities.

She had an average one-day tournament but she stole the limelight in the T20 tournament, setting a new record as she smashed a 76-ball 162 against Arunachal Pradesh in the Plate Group tie to become the first Indian to score more than 150 runs in a T20 match.

Before Navgire's 162-run knock, the only other Indian cricketer to come close to breaching the 150-mark was Shreyas Iyer, who scored 147 off 55 balls for Mumbai against Sikkim. Owing to Navgire’s three half-centuries and one ton, Nagaland for the first time qualified for the knockout stage in a domestic tournament since the state got BCCI affiliation in 2018. And she has been flooded with offers from various state associations ahead of the upcoming season. Daughter of a farmer in Solapur, Navgire grew up working in the fields with her father and throwing the javelin.

Despite winning a handful of medals in javelin throw and shot-put with those strong arms for Maharashtra, Navgire took to cricket in 2016 when she shifted to Pune. She played for Maharashtra in the 2017, 2018 and 2019 seasons. In the 2021 season, she was not selected for the state team.

“That was the best decision of my life. I was thrilled to have helped Nagaland qualify for the knockouts. They gave me a chance when the Maharashtra team had no place for me. I have got many offers this season but I am sticking with Nagaland. I want to be a consistent batter and score runs in both formats. India women play lots of matches in the coming months and not to forget the upcoming T20 World Cup and the much-awaited women’s league in India. I love hitting sixes and dominating the game but now taking singles and doubles will also be on my agenda. My natural game will be the same but I will have to play with a thinking hat on,” said Navgire, who idolises MS Dhoni and wants to don India colours soon.

"My parents were watching the Women's T20 Challenge final when I got out for a duck. I was really disappointed. Dottin was bowling tight and the fielders were set well for my shots. But this is how one learns. I am not going to let any chance go to waste now and be prepared," added Navgire.

Be it the 2017 World Cup final, the T20 World Cup final in 2020, or the recently held Commonwealth Games final in England, the India women's team has always crumbled in crunch situations and lost out on titles. With lots of cricket waiting to take place in the coming months, national selectors would be keeping their eyes open on talents like Navgire who could probably fit in the bill and provide the required X-factor to the India team not to forget the kind of buzz she can create amongst the franchisees if continues to plunder runs in the upcoming domestic season.