Mumbai, 20 September (H.S.): Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan has praised all-rounder Naman Dhir, who has been included in India’s squad for the upcoming ODI series against the West Indies. Pathan believes the Indian ODI side has been missing a player like Dhir, who can contribute at different positions in the batting order while also providing a useful bowling option.

Irfan Pathan shared his views on Naman Dhir’s selection during JioHotstar’s programme ‘Follow the Blues’. India are scheduled to play a three-match ODI series against the West Indies, beginning September 27. Dhir has been included in the squad announced for the series.

Praising Dhir’s ability, Irfan said, “I rate Naman Dhir very highly. I believe he is a very talented player. Apart from his strong performances in domestic cricket, he has also been selected because of his bowling ability.”

He further said that Dhir is a batter who can be used in both the upper and lower middle order according to the team’s requirements. “He can also bowl good off-spin. I feel the ODI team has been missing a player like him to some extent,” he added.

The former India all-rounder also highlighted team combination as an important factor behind Dhir’s selection. He said Washington Sundar is unavailable because of the Asian Games, while Riyan Parag has been dealing with an injury issue.

“So, if Naman gets an opportunity, I will be excited to see him play. He certainly has the skills, but his bowling will be tested more than his batting,” Pathan said.

Naman Dhir recently produced an impressive performance in the Sher-e-Punjab T20 tournament. He made a significant contribution with the bat for title-winning Amritsar Surmas. Dhir scored 655 runs in 10 innings at an average of 72.28, with a strike rate of 217.61.

Dhir has so far played 14 List A matches. In 11 innings, he has scored 351 runs at an average of 39.00. He has four half-centuries to his name, with a highest score of 97. With the ball, Dhir has also taken seven wickets in List A cricket.

Dhir has also showcased his batting ability while representing Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL). This season, he scored 318 runs in 14 matches at an average of 26.50 and a strike rate of 147.22. Overall, he has played 37 matches for Mumbai Indians in the IPL and has scored 710 runs.

India squad for ODI series against West Indies:

Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, Aqib Nabi, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Naman Dhir.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar