The quality of a T20 innings often ends up in the direst situations with hardly any time to calm down. Naman Dhir has proved himself to be ready to take those decisions for India, but Mumbai Indians technical director Kieron Pollard feels the young all-rounder requires more experience before he can be properly evaluated.
Dhir has recently delivered against New Zealand, and proved his worth in the final stages. He then bowled unbeaten 42 at 280 in the first T20I, before contributing 31 in the second match, earning India two crucial good catches from the lower middle order.
This is more than just power hitting. A finisher needs to be able to spot the necessary rate quickly, decide which bowlers to attack and when it would be better to take a calculated risk than an uncontrolled shot. Dhir has talked about the difference between “batting with fear” and “batting recklessly” and said it was important to have confidence, but with a sense of judgment.
Pollard has had exposure to Dhir at Mumbai Indians and believes he is a player who is ready to learn and take constructive criticism. He has seen improvement in Dhir since his debut in 2024, adapting himself to various roles and finding his confidence, he said. Pollard also warned against prematurely calling a project a success.
The Mumbai Indians have given Dhir access to other experienced players like Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav. When he is not busy with his playing duties, he has been regularly visiting the franchise’s training block in Navi Mumbai. He also has Pollard’s help for batting and as far as preparation goes, his mind, especially when it comes to not getting distracted by the things that aren’t cricket.
Dhir is not just a batsman. He has the ability to deliver overs when he has the ball in his hand, which is quite a different aspect of his game that he can put to good use for India when it comes to picking a team in ODI cricket, though the Indian selectors have not taken proper advantage of it in the New Zealand T20Is.
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has hailed Dhir as a good prospect for the power and technique. His debut also represents a threat to the seats of batters who can be relied on for late-order runs and also offer him some extra bowling choices.
To boost Dhir’s confidence ahead of the mega auction in 2025, Mumbai Indians decided to play with a Right to Match card. The franchise wants to safeguard that development process, Pollard says, “We don’t want to put too much pressure on them.
The next hurdle for Dhir is to make his performance repeatable. He has proved that he can turn the game around in no time at all in his last few games, but if he keeps to his form in every scenario, he will go far with both India and Mumbai Indians.