Naman Dhir made a strong statement on his T20I debut against the West Indies, and his performance has already led to questions about Washington Sundar’s place in India’s white-ball teams.The 25-year-old, who has mainly been seen as a batting all-rounder in the IPL, surprised many with the ball in the first T20I. He bowled his full four-over spell and returned figures of 3/31 as India restricted the West Indies to 171.Dhir had scored 318 runs in IPL 2026 but did not bowl a single over during the tournament. His international debut showed that he can offer India another option with the ball.Former India cricketer and 1983 World Cup winner Krishnamachari Srikkanth believes Dhir’s emergence could seriously hurt Washington Sundar’s chances in white-ball cricket.
Srikkanth: ‘Naman Dhir has finished him’
Srikkanth pointed out that Dhir initially came into the team as a replacement but has now made it difficult for the selectors to leave him out.“Naman Dhir has now come in at Washington Sundar’s place as a replacement player. Washington Sundar keeps getting injured after every two matches. Now Naman Dhir has come in as his replacement and finished him. How can you drop Naman Dhir now from ODIs and T20Is? He has immediately grabbed that spot. Now Washington Sundar can only play for India in Test cricket,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.Srikkanth was also impressed by how Dhir adjusted his bowling after getting hit.“When he bowls fast, he gets hit for sixes. So he immediately slows the ball down, which shows that he’s a very thoughtful bowler. He’s ideal for T20 cricket. He bowls in such a way that he envisions himself batting and how one would bowl to him. That’s how much of a thinking cricketer he looks to be. That’s why he’s an intelligent bowler.”
Why Srikkanth wants Impact Player rule removed
Dhir’s performance also made Srikkanth question the impact of the IPL’s Impact Player rule.“This is why the Impact Player rule should be removed in the IPL. That’s how you’ll produce genuine all-rounders. Now you’ve got a good batting all-rounder in Naman Dhir. Today he bowled four overs, but even if he gives you two overs on a consistent basis, it’ll be huge for India and MI,” said Srikkanth.Srikkanth expects Dhir to get more opportunities with the ball in the IPL as well.“He’ll take loads of wickets even in the upcoming IPL. He must have bowled only 10 overs maximum in his IPL career, yet he bowled four overs today. He has everything, including luck.”
Dhir says bowling has always been part of his game
Dhir, however, made it clear that his bowling was not something he suddenly picked up for his international debut.“I have been bowling for quite some time; it is not as if I have just started now. In the IPL, because of the impact-player rule, you don’t see me bowling as much. But it is not that I haven’t bowled. I have bowled a lot and have good experience here as well. Hopefully, I will continue doing well in the future,” Dhir said in the post-match press conference after helping India bowl out West Indies for 171 in the first T20I here.He explained that he followed a simple plan after watching Axar Patel bowl earlier in the innings.“I saw Axar Bhai bowling earlier, and he was bowling a little slower and getting some turn. That was in my mind – if I bowled a little slower, there would be good grip from the wicket, and I could get them out. So I just stuck to my plans and kept things basic. I think I got a good result from that,” Dhir said.
‘I am working just as hard on my bowling’
Dhir also stressed that his bowling has always received the same attention as his batting.“Again, I will say that even if you haven’t seen me bowling, I have been bowling as much as I have since I came here and I have practised just as much before this. It is not as if, as a batting all-rounder or bowling all-rounder, I have neglected one aspect. Yes, my batting is a plus point, but at the same time I am working just as hard on my bowling,” he said.“Whether I have to bowl four overs, two overs or even one-day cricket, where I have bowled six or seven overs, it is normal for me. I just have to focus on my plans and try to execute them,” he added.India, who won the three-match ODI series 2-1, are leading the five-match T20I series 1-0.The second T20I match will be playd on Friday at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi.
