Kiran Navgire needed only 34 deliveries on a warm Nagpur afternoon to set a new benchmark for the quickest century in women’s T20 cricket, steering Maharashtra to an eight-wicket win over Punjab with a stunning 106* from 35 balls. The previous mark, Sophie Devine’s 36-ball effort for Wellington in 2021, now slips to second place.
“It felt like every ball was in my arc,” Navgire said afterwards, almost shrugging when asked about the speed of her scoring. “Some days the middle of the bat looks bigger, doesn’t it?”
Key facts first
• Fastest women’s T20 hundred: 34 balls
• Strike-rate: 302.86 – the first 300-plus rate for a T20 ton in the women’s game
• Match won with eight overs spare; Maharashtra 113-1 chasing 112
Punjab’s bowlers knew their target was modest, yet the chase still felt brutal. Navgire opened up with three boundaries in the first over, then went into over-drive: 14 fours, seven sixes, and only 12 scoring shots worth one or two. Team-mate Mukta Magre contributed six in an unbroken 103-run stand, a statistic that says plenty.
Devine, watching highlights from New Zealand, offered a wry thumbs-up on social media: “Records are made to be broken – fair play.” Former India batter Hemang Badani, meanwhile, called the innings “scarily clean”, adding on commentary, “She hardly swung across the line; it was all straight and flat.”
Context matters
Navgire grew up in Mire, a farming village roughly 200 km south-east of Pune. Back in 2022, when she was still turning out for Nagaland, she explained: “I wanted to bat like MS Dhoni – calm but explosive.” Much of her power, she reckons, was built lugging buckets of feed for the family cattle. She also played volleyball and athletics at district level, something coaches say explains her core strength.
Those exploits earned her an India debut at Chester-le-Street in 2022, yet the international returns have been slim so far: six T20Is, only 17 runs. UP Warriorz have kept the faith in the WPL – 419 runs across three seasons at 140 – but an average under 18 shows there’s work to do.
Analysis without the fluff
So, what does a 34-ball hundred in a domestic fixture really tell us? First, the obvious: Navgire can hit pace or spin over the ropes almost at will. Second, the gap between the stronger state sides and the rest remains yawning in Indian women’s cricket; a bowler missing length by an inch is punished by a mile. Third, selectors still value consistency over cameos. A single record, however eye-catching, won’t guarantee a recall, but it certainly reopens the conversation.
Former coach Sunetra Paranjpe summed it up neatly: “If Kiran strings together three or four solid knocks – not just fireworks – the door to India is never closed.”
Maharashtra captain Anuja Patil echoed that view, keeping feet firmly on the ground. “We’re delighted for her, obviously,” she said. “But the tournament isn’t over, and she knows that.”
Where next
The Women’s T20 Trophy moves on to Raipur next week. Maharashtra, unbeaten so far, look favourites to top their group. For Navgire, the challenge is to turn a once-in-a-lifetime burst into a season trend. Given Friday’s evidence, few bowlers will relish that task.
