Naman Dhir brought cheer to his skipper Shreyas Iyer and India with his three strikes on his debut T20I against the West Indies on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP
Three weeks ago, Naman Dhir was with the Punjab team preparing for the Ranji Trophy campaign when he learned he had been selected for the India ODI squad. After playing all three matches in the 50-over format, Dhir was added to the T20 squad in the eleventh hour, making it a dream fortnight.
On Tuesday, the all-rounder made his first real mark in international cricket, albeit in a facet of his game few have seen.
“It was a great feeling when I got the call. I was in the Ranji Trophy camp at the PCA. Right away I called my father; he was emotional; I also got a little emotional,” said Dhir.
“Obviously, every kid has a dream to play for the country, so if you represent the country, it’s a big deal. I am from a small town and no one had played for the country from there. So it’s a big deal for me and in our area.”
Match-ups and analytics have meant captains are reluctant to trust finger spinners, especially off-spinners, in T20s. Operating as the fifth bowling option, Dhir’s figures of three for 31 on his T20 debut played a key role in India’s eight-wicket win over West Indies here.
The most impressive aspect of his bowling was how he responded to being attacked, showing real smarts and temperament. Every time he was hit, the 26-year-old adjusted, whether by bowling it wide outside off-stump, slowing it up, or altering his length to induce false shots. Remarkably, all his wicket-taking deliveries came just after he was hit for a six.
“I saw Axar (Patel) bhai in the PowerPlay, where he was bowling a little slow. It was turning. I thought if I slow it down, with the wicket gripping, I can get them out. So I just stuck to my basic plan and got good results,” he added.
While he has made his name through his batting in the IPL for Mumbai Indians, Dhir revealed that he has always worked on his bowling. “I’ve been bowling for a long time. It’s not like I’ve just started. In IPL, yes, there’s an Impact Player rule, so you see me bowling less. But it’s not like I haven’t bowled; I’ve bowled a lot and got wickets.”
“I hope I’ll keep doing well in the future,” said Dhir.
Published – October 07, 2026 05:59 pm IST
