Why UP Warriorz won't give up on Kiran Navgire

Lisa Sthalekar, mentor of UP Warriorz, defended Kiran Navgire after the opener fell for a third-ball duck against Delhi Capitals—her third successive failure this season, with just six runs across those matches.

"Kiran hasn't clicked yet for us. But one thing about her is she's not going to eat up balls, is she? She's willing to take the bowlers on," Sthalekar said.

Sthalekar has observed Navgire closely for over three seasons at UPW. While "she's not going to eat up balls" offers a silver lining, it contrasts with Navgire’s recent focus on spending more time at the crease—a plan she worked on pre-tournament.

"Ever since we started our pre-season camp, Abhishek [Nayar] sir has told me to stay in the middle for longer periods and try to score," Navgire told Cricbuzz. "He said, 'Waha pe khade hona hai, runs apne aap aa jaayenge'."

Navgire has shown flashes in the WPL, scoring quickfire half-centuries in each of the first three seasons. Her strike rate has been among the best, but consistency has eluded her—she averages under 20 in all three seasons.

Nayar’s advice aimed to temper her always-attacking instinct, urging her to "play according to the ball, and not the field."

"He asked me to choose the deliveries to hit," Navgire said. "He told me, 'we have other players as well to score runs, so you don't have to take the burden of scoring on everyone's behalf. We have to get the score together as a team.' When that thought settled in, it allowed me to unburden myself."

Chasing 162 against Mumbai Indians, Navgire attempted this approach. Captain Meg Lanning took the attacking role in the powerplay, while Navgire scored 10 off 11 balls—giving her time to settle. She found a couple of boundaries when opportunities arose, but fell to Nat Sciver-Brunt’s off-cutter, top-edging a pull to deep backward square leg.

Despite her rare power-hitting ability, Navgire’s career hasn’t taken off smoothly. In six internationals as a designated power-hitter, she failed to cement her place, with a 4-ball 10* against UAE her only notable knock.

Domestically, however, she has been prolific. This season, in the senior women’s T20 trophy, she smashed 233 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 235.35. In the inter-zonals, she hammered 245 runs in five innings at 177.53.

This domestic form followed a personal plan Navgire set on June 29, 2025: to make India’s squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup. She had promised former UP Warriorz coach Jon Lewis she would return an improved cricketer.

"I will work on my fitness, and improve my fielding," she pledged.

She adopted a new nutrition plan—eating timely, controlling intake, switching to boiled food—and intensified her training with agility work, weekly long runs, and daily short sprints. This improved her footwork, evident in domestic performances, but the elite-level breakthrough remains pending.

Told she would open this WPL season, she was dropped down the order by the second game. Though flexible—"Jaha pe opportunity mile, waha jaakar todna hi hai" is her mantra—she registered three poor starts before returning to open and falling for a duck.

Nayar believes conditions at DY Patil Stadium haven’t suited her, but backs her to come good.

"Right now it’s about keeping her in that positive frame of mind. It’s been hard for her so far because she came in with high expectations after her domestic season. These conditions have not necessarily suited her yet. We’ve tried to make sure she can still give herself the best chance by being aggressive. That is who she is.

"Today we tried changing the strike. At least we got past the powerplay with her at the crease. That’s a small change. In this format, it’s cruel—so fast-paced. You want to give players freedom and support so they can keep going. When you don’t win, it becomes hard. But when you win, it becomes slightly easier."

Sthalekar also believes Navgire’s special talent can emerge soon.

"We’re hoping the work she’s done pre-tournament and her plans with the coaching staff pay off. From our view, if she can put one performance away, she’ll think, ‘OK, I can do this’. You’ve seen how destructive she can be. She’s a real X-factor."