Naman Dhir is still early in his India career, but one part of his game is already getting extra attention: his bowling. Ahead of the third ODI against the West Indies in Mullanpur, Dhir said advice from Ravindra Jadeja and work at the Mumbai Indians camp have helped him sharpen the spin-bowling side of his game.
Dhir made his international debut during the first ODI against the West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram, so the sample size is still small. In his first two ODIs, he has not yet taken a wicket, and his career economy rate stands at six. Even so, the right-hander appears to be treating his bowling as a skill worth developing rather than a backup option.
What Jadeja told him
Dhir said he spoke at length with Jadeja and received simple plans for bowling based on the batter and the match situation. The message was straightforward: know whether the task is to take a wicket or contain runs, and adjust the lines and lengths accordingly. For a player still finding his way at international level, that kind of practical guidance can be valuable.
He also pointed to the effect of training around the Mumbai Indians setup. Dhir said he has been bowling since the start, but the amount of bowling he has done in the IPL has been limited, in part because of the Impact Player rule. Even so, he noted that he has continued to bowl for Punjab and also in the Sher-e-Punjab League, while putting extra work into his bowling after entering the IPL.
Why the timing matters
The timing is useful for India as well. Dhir earned his maiden call-up after a strong Sher-e-Punjab League campaign, and his bowling development gives the team another layer to consider as it looks at his role. He said he has been batting with the usual focus during the series, but winning the match convincingly after chasing a huge total was still a positive sign for the group.
That broader context also makes the upcoming ODI in Mullanpur interesting. On Saturday, the PCA Stadium in Mullanpur is set to host its first men's ODI, and Dhir suggested that if conditions are prepared in the usual way, a total in the 290-300 range would be a good score. For a player with a two-match-old career, that kind of read on conditions is another small sign that he is learning quickly.
For now, Dhir remains much more established as a batter, with 655 runs in 10 innings and a strike rate of 217 in his broader recent profile. But his comments suggest that the bowling side of his game is becoming more relevant, and that could matter if India continues to explore all-round options in ODIs.
