Ο Numan Dhir μετατρέπεται σε μεγάλο τελικό για το MI, χάρη στον Keiron Pollard

At a time when Mumbai Indians were struggling to get some quick runs vs DC on Wednesday, it was Suryakumar Yadav’s 73 from 43 that propelled the team to a match-winning 180. Having said that, a cameo of 24 from 8 deliveries by Naman Dhir also set the tone for Hardik Pandya’s Mumbai.

Naman Dhir, The New in the Making for MI

Dhir went on to slam two fours and as many sixes in his innings, to be looked at, as a new finisher for MI. And no wonder, he has been working behind the scenes with coach Keiron Pollard, a destructive batter in his time. Just a closer look at Naman Dhir’s record says it all — in 13 matches he has scored 186 runs lower down the order, at a strike-rate of 182 and an average of 37.

“We were trying to keep things simple. We were trying to time the ball rather than muscle it. That’s what we practice in the nets every day. I talk to Polly every day about this. That helped me a lot. Talking to Polly and Hardik bhai helped me a lot. Surya and Tilak’s partnership was very critical. The ball was turning a bit. The wicket was slow. They gave a foundation that helped us express ourselves,” Naman Dhir told reporters after the win over DC.

Credit to Keiron Pollard

The youngster of course credited Pollard, who has played over 700 games in the format. “Polly has a lot of experience. He has played close to 700 games. He educates me about the strengths and weaknesses of bowlers. We also watch videos of bowlers a lot. Accordingly, I plan. Sometimes, I am able to execute it, sometimes not. Today, it was my day. The team is very happy.

Meanwhile, MI have become the fourth and the last team to make it to the IPL 2025 playoffs, after the likes of GT, RCB and PBKS. Now, it remains to be seen, who occupies the top 2 slots and make an entry into the Qualifier 1.