Will really feel the warmth much more

Former India cricketer Dinesh Karthik believes that Naman Dhir’s rapid rise as an all-rounder and finisher threatens the places of the likes of Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar in the T20I setup. The newcomer impressed once again, scoring a stunning 15-ball 42 to help India record their highest-ever run chase in the first T20I against New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

Naman Dhir was a surprise call-up to the Indian ODI setup for the home series against West Indies. But his impressive displays with both bat and ball helped him secure a place in the T20I squad as well, in place of Washington Sundar, who was withdrawn to feature in domestic cricket.

Naman Dhir has not turned back since then and has made a strong case to be part of the white-ball setup in the long run. After his first five innings for India, he has a strike rate of 285.71 and has picked five wickets at an average of 22.80.

Dinesh Karthik noted that Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar might struggle to get back into the playing XI as India seem to have found a new all-rounder combination going forward.

“At this point of time, Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar will feel the heat a lot more, because Naman Dhir has come in place of Sundar. Washington Sundar was always part of all three squads, but because of the fact that they want to focus on him playing Test cricket, Naman Dhir has come in and done very well. He has been very impressive and with the ball also, he has shown considerable skill,” Dinesh Karthik said on Cricbuzz.

Before the New Zealand tour, Naman Dhir had showcased his hitting ability with an unbeaten 24 off six balls in the fifth T20I against West Indies in Bengaluru. He has shown his potential in the Indian Premier League (IPL), domestic cricket, and the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League 2026, a few months ago.

“Good enough to be an elite finisher at the top level” – Dinesh Karthik backs Naman Dhir to ace the lower middle-order role after NZ vs IND 2026 1st T20I

Dinesh Karthik feels that Naman Dhir has locked down his place in the T20I side and could feature alongside his franchise teammate and captain Hardik Pandya when he returns from injury.

“It feels like they are going to double down on Naman Dhir and Nitish Kumar Reddy as their two all-rounders. Obviously, when Hardik comes in, he takes over Nitish. Naman Dhir has shown skills good enough to be an elite finisher at the top level, which is all you can ask for,” Dinesh Karthik said.

While Naman Dhir and Nitish Kumar Reddy have featured together in recent matches, it has left Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar a bit behind, hinting a potential transition in that department.

Edited by Gokul Nair