See glimpses of Hardik Pandya: Naman Dhir's hitting power leaves ex-IND batter in awe

Aakash Chopra claimed that he could see glimpses of Hardik Pandya in Naman Dhir during the Bengaluru T20I blitz that he played. Naman scored 24 off just six balls during the rain-affected match.

In Short

• Naman hit three sixes during his six-ball blitz
• Chopra feels Naman has a strong base when it comes to hitting
• Naman is a part of the India squad for NZ T20Is

Naman Dhir was the find for India during the T20Is against the West Indies, stepping up as an all-rounder for the side, especially in the absence of Hardik Pandya. The Punjab star has already made a name for himself in the IPL with some eye-catching performances under Hardik's captaincy.

He was instrumental mostly with the ball during the five-match series, picking up a total of five wickets from 10 overs at an average of 22.8. But in Bengaluru, it was with the bat that Naman impressed. The 26-year-old came in at a time when India needed quick runs and he unleashed an assault on the Windies bowlers.

Naman hit his first ball for a six, followed it up with a boundary. The third one also went the distance and so did the fifth ball he faced and Naman remained unbeaten on 24 off six balls.

Speaking on Star Sports, Aakash Chopra was in awe of the hitting ability from the all-rounder, praising him for his strong base and long levers. The former Indian batter felt that there were glimpses of Hardik in the big-hitting from Naman on the day.

"See the first ball. The ball was definitely on the legs, but sending the ball on the legs into the stands means he has class. Then just cricketing smarts. He got a slightly short ball, held himself a little, and then hit a six over long-off. Then the last six as well. Of course, the mid-off was in, the ball was bowled in the slot, but to hit a six, and he hits extremely clean sixes," the former India opener responded.

"This guy has hitting ability. He is tall, has a long reach, and uses the long levers well. I see slight glimpses of Hardik Pandya. You get that kind of feeling when he bats. He makes a big base, remains extremely stable, and uses his hands extremely well," he added.

Naman has played a variety of roles for MI in the IPL, opening the batting and coming in as a finisher at times. Currently for India, he comes in at No.6 or No.7, meaning that he oftens finds himself in the situation he was in Bengaluru.

Chopra said that Naman does a difficult job at the moment and the question now will be if he can maximise runs from the spot.

"He does the difficult job. He bats at No. 6 or No. 7. Whoever comes to bat at No. 6 or No. 7 gets on an average as many balls as you saw today (Saturday). On average, he will get seven or eight balls. So, can he maximize that?" he said.

"Shivam Dube has the ability to hit sixes and finish the match. Hardik Pandya has that. Then you start searching for who else is there who can come like this and score 24 runs off six balls. They are trying to fill that void," Chopra observed.

Naman is part of the India squad for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand.

- Ends