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Cricket Players‘Economical’ Naman Dhir proves his worth In India's T20 set-up
In the three T20Is he has played so far, Naman Dhir has bowled a total of nine overs, with four coming in the 1st T20I.
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Role clarity is of great importance in T20 cricket, especially when you are new in the set-up. One can feel intimidated or lost but being told what is expected of them can make things that little bit easier.
Naman Dhir, who made his T20I debut for India in the series opener against the West Indies, has been categorically told by the team management what they want him to do. Skipper Shreyas Iyer and head coach Gautam Gambhir have tasked him with the role of a finisher and bowling two to three overs in every game.
Ever since Gambhir took over as the head coach, there has been an inclination toward having multi-faceted cricketers in the playing XI, and the management wants players who can contribute with both bat and ball. In the absence of Hardik Pandya, the team has already given a go to Shivam Dube, Naman and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
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In the three T20Is he has played so far, Naman has picked up five wickets, bowling a total of nine overs, with four coming in the first T20I. The 26-year-old who plays for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL hasn't been called upon to bowl in the tournament due to the impact player rule, but the all-rounder feels he has always had the quality of chipping in with overs whenever required.
“I am a batting all-rounder. I got an opportunity to bat in this game, but I am a bit disappointed that I couldn’t capitalise on it. However, it’s not as if I don’t bowl. The Impact Player rule in the IPL means I get fewer opportunities to bowl there, but I have been bowling ever since I started playing cricket, and I really enjoy it," Naman told the broadcaster after the third T20I, which India won by 14 runs.
“As far as my role is concerned, I have been told by the coaches and captain that I will bat at number six or seven, depending on the situation, so that role is flexible. With the ball, my responsibility is to bowl two or three overs economically whenever the team needs me,” he added.
What makes Naman click as a bowler?
As an off-spinner, Naman never tries to do anything out of the ordinary, as the recent matches have shown that he just wants to rely on his line and length and look to vary the pace. The player who hails from Punjab has shown a big heart, bowling the difficult overs when the Windies batters have been going hammer and tongs.
“As they say in T20 cricket, an attacking option can also be a defensive option because there is nothing better than taking a wicket. It helps being a batter because you understand the batter’s stance, where his backlift is coming from, his guard and the kind of shots he can play. I keep observing these things when I bowl,” said Naman.
In the third T20I, Kamil Pooran, the Windies opener, smashed Naman for three sixes, but it was the Indian spinner who had the last laugh, dismissing him on the final delivery of the over, leading to India further tightening the grip on the contest.
“I didn't plan to concede three sixes and then take a wicket. For instance, when Kamil Pooran was batting, he was looking to play every shot towards the leg side and get room to free his arms, so I wanted to cramp him for room. I made a couple of errors in the first two deliveries,” said Naman.
“I knew I was bowling my third over, the batter was set, and with the run rate being high, he was bound to take a chance. And, ultimately, he got out playing exactly the kind of shot I wanted him to, getting caught at square-leg,” he added.
