Mumbai Indians (MI) are known to unearth the best domestic talent and make them a complete product.
Mumbai Indians (MI) are known to unearth the best domestic talent and make them a complete product. Several players have started their careers with them and ascended to newer heights, with a few going on to play for India.
Their scouting team is arguably the finest in the competition, and they bring in a few fresh faces almost every year. The trend continued in IPL 2024 when they unleashed Naman Dhir, who impressed one and all in his debut season.
Naman scored 140 runs at an average of 23.33 and a 177.21 strike rate, including a fifty. The most impressive part of his batting was his stroke-making and boundary-hitting ability.
MI didn’t have many positives in this edition, but Dhir kept impressing at different stages with his willow. He didn’t get consistent opportunities, but whenever MI used him, Naman ensured to make an impact.
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Unfortunately, Mumbai Indians will have to leave Naman Dhir, even though he was among the few positives for them. They have a plethora of stars to retain, leaving no place for Naman.
Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are sure retentions, whereas Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, and Ishan Kishan are other quality options. They are already sweating over choosing two of these players and would have to make numerous hard decisions.
Even in the uncapped category, MI have Nehal Wadhera and Akash Madhwal, who have done better for the team after playing more than Naman. It’s hard to see them preferring Naman over the other two players.
Regarding RTM, MI would want to use it on one of the international stars they can’t afford to retain ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. In all, Naman is unlikely to find a retention from MI.
One thing became certain from Naman Dhir’s maiden stint in IPL – he is a big-hitter who can thwack boundaries consistently. It was obvious from the local tournament he featured in, which grabbed the eyeballs of MI’s scouting team.
He came into the limelight during the Sher-E-Punjab tournament, where Dhir could hit sixes at will. The same followed in the IPL, especially against pacers, against whom Naman had a strike rate of 180.95 and a balls-per-boundary ratio of 3.50 in IPL 2024.
Not going down without a fight 💪
Naman Dhir gets to his maiden IPL FIFTY 👏
Watch the match LIVE on @StarSportsIndia and @JioCinema 💻📱#TATAIPL | #MIvLSG pic.twitter.com/m65qpL3M8f
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 17, 2024
He had a stable base and held his shape brilliantly while playing big shots, which helped him hit the ball further into the stands. Naman can access different areas and play lofted shots, making him an exciting prospect.
Further, his spin game is also ever-improving and will be in its best stage by the next IPL edition. That makes Naman an exciting prospect, something teams like to have in their squads.
What do teams want in the mega auctions? A solid Indian talent who can be a long-term investment; Naman fits the bill.
He can be flexible with his batting position and bat with intent from the first ball, visible by his strike rate of 151.78 in the first ten deliveries in IPL 2024. Further, he is only 24 and has massive potential to improve with proper guidance, making him an ideal pick for teams.
He gives the option to have a power-hitter without wasting an overseas slot. Generally, teams use foreign players for such roles, showing how valuable Naman is.
He also has previous IPL experience with one of the best teams in the competition. Such players are always in demand in mega auctions, and Naman Dhir looks ready to grab a lucrative deal in the IPL 2025 auction.
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