Former Indian wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik believes Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar’s places in the T20I team could be under threat after Naman Dhir’s blistering knock in the first T20I at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on Thursday.
Dhir played a whirlwind knock of 42 runs off just 15 balls with the help of five fours and two sixes in the run-chase of 226. Thus, the Punjab batter played a key role in adding the finishing touches and helped India in chasing down their highest total in T20Is.
The right-hander was able to hit the ground running as the required run rate was almost 12 when he joined forces with captain Shreyas Iyer. Dhir scored his runs at a strike rate of 280.
“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.
The former gloveman backed Dhir to deliver consistently for India while batting in the lower middle order.
“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.
The second T20I between India and New Zealand will be played at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on Saturday.
