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. Known for blasting huge sixes down the ground, he had only scored 17 runs in his previous four T20 innings, earning him just 39 runs since making his T20 debut in November a few months prior. In his brief career, he has also batted primarily at No. 3 for Punjab. He has two centuries from last season’s 20 innings in 14 games with an average of 30.21 in the Ranji Trophy.
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. During that event, Dhir averaged 42.36 and hammered 466 runs (the second-highest) at a strike rate of 192.56 in 12 innings. Along the process, he amassed two centuries (127 off 56 and 105 off 44), with thirty sixes in all.
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.
Mumbai would have believed that Dhir did his job with a 10-ball 20, but in the end, they were defeated by a just six runs.
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Jonathan Jonathan