Watch glimpses of Hardik Pandya: Naman Dhir’s strike power leaves ex-IND batter in awe

Naman Dhir was a find for India during the T20I against the West Indies, emerging as an all-rounder for the side, especially in the absence of Hardik Pandya. The Punjabi star has already made his mark in the IPL with some eye-catching performances under Hardik.

During the five-game streak, he mainly played with the ball, picking up a total of five wickets from 10 overs at an average of 22.8. But it was with the bat in Bengaluru that Naman impressed. The 26-year-old stepped in when India needed quick runs and unleashed an onslaught on the Windies bowlers.

Naman hit his first ball for a six and the landmark followed. The third ball also went on and so did the fifth ball he faced and Naman remained unbeaten on 24 from six balls.

Speaking to Star Sports, Aakash Chopra was in awe of the all-rounder’s hitting skills and praised him for his strong base and long levers. The former India batsman felt that they got a glimpse of Hardik that day with a big knock from Naman.

“Look at the first ball. The ball was on his feet for sure, but to send the ball on his feet into the stands shows he has class. Then just cricketing smarts. He got a bit of a short ball, held on a bit and then hit a six over long off. Then the last six. Of course it was mid-off, the ball was bowled at the gap but he responded with an extremely clean six.

“The guy has the ability to hit. He’s tall, has a lot of reach and uses long levers well. I see little glimpses of Hardik Pandya. You get that feeling when he’s batting. He makes a big base, stays extremely steady and uses his hands extremely well,” he added.

Naman has played various roles for MI in the IPL, opening the batting and occasionally coming in as a finisher. He currently comes in at No.6 or No.7 for India, meaning he will often find himself in the position he was in in Bengaluru.

Chopra said that Naman is doing a difficult job at the moment and the question now will be whether he can maximize the runs from the spot.

“He’s doing a difficult job. He’s batting at No. 6 or No. 7. Whoever comes in to bat at No. 6 or No. 7 is going to get as many balls on average as you saw today (Saturday). He’s going to get seven or eight balls on average. So can he maximize that?” he said.

“Shivam Dube has the ability to hit sixes and finish the match. Hardik Pandya has that. Then you start looking for who else is there who can come in like that and give 24 runs off six balls. He is trying to fill that void,” observed Chopra.

Naman is part of the Indian squad for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand.

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