Image Credit- BCCI
Over the years, the
Mumbai Indians have used some of the most recognisable T20 hitters at No. 3,
including Cameron Green, Rohit Sharma, and Suryakumar Yadav. In the opening
over of the 169-run chase on Sunday night against the Gujarat Titans, Ishan
Kishan fell, and Naman Dhir was out at No. 3.
It was Dhar’s sixth T20 match in his professional career; he hasn’t yet
participated in a domestic cricket 50-over match. For the five-time champs,
what was he doing in the IPL at the time?
At the most recent auction, Dhir—the newest unknown entity from MI’s scouting
stable—was purchased for INR 20 lakh. He is a Punjabi batsman of 24 years old
who hits strongly. Often smashing huge sixes from the air, his four T20 innings
before this had earned him just 39 runs since his T20 debut a few months ago in
November
His hitting prowess
first came to light in August of last year during the Sher-e-Punjab T20 Cup, a
state T20 league run by the Punjab Cricket Association.
He hit three consecutive fours and a six in the same over on Sunday against
Azmatullah Omarzai of Afghanistan. Dhir hit a three-ball spanking to the
square-leg boundary; he lofted the opening ball of the third over over mid-off,
the second over midwicket, and the third (after a wide) over midleigh. Dhir hit
a half-volley over long-off for an 86-meter six after a dot ball. But Omarzai
struck back with a review, trapping Dhir leg before wicket on the final ball of
the over.
“He came out
and he was very expressive. Again that lofted shot, you have got to be excited
about these things,” Kieron Pollard, Mumbai batting coach, said after the
match.
“Kudos to the scouts, all the guys who work behind the scenes to unearth
these sorts of talent within in India. He was one on our radar. He has been in
the Mumbai setup over the last couple of months, going to England on a
developmental tour. So, it’s something we would’ve seen in that guy.”
Mumbai would have thought Dhir did his job with a 10-ball 20, but they
eventually fell short by just six runs in the end.