Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has suggested that India could leave out Naman Dhir for the second ODI against West Indies, scheduled to be played on September 30 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. Chopra’s suggestion is primarily based on the expected dew factor, which could make Dhir’s part-time bowling less effective under lights.
Dhir made his ODI debut in the series opener in Thiruvananthapuram, with India missing spin-bowling all-rounders Axar Patel and Washington Sundar. The team opted for Dhir instead of a specialist bowling option such as Mohammed Siraj or Auqib Nabi, adding greater depth to the batting lineup. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ravindra Jadeja also featured in the playing XI.
The 26-year-old bowled five overs in the opening ODI, conceding 33 runs without taking a wicket. He was used as India’s sixth bowling option and did not get an opportunity with the bat as the hosts chased down the target comfortably with eight wickets in hand.
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Chopra believes the conditions in Guwahati could make Dhir’s role even more difficult. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he pointed out that India cannot control the toss and could be forced to bowl second when the ball becomes wet because of heavy dew.
“Since you are going to a place where the toss is not in your hands, and there might be dew, why not play Mohammed Siraj? I have nothing against Naman Dhir, he bats well, but he is still just a part-time bowler,” Aakash Chopra said.
He added that Dhir’s bowling could become ineffective if the ball gets wet and argued that India should rely on their specialist bowlers instead. Chopra also questioned the need to prioritise batting depth, given India’s current form, while noting that Dhir is not viewed as a potential option for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Siraj, meanwhile, has not played an ODI since January 2026 against New Zealand. He was rested from the England ODI series as part of workload management and has increasingly focused on Test cricket. However, he returned to India’s ODI squad for the West Indies series after Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh were selected for the Asian Games campaign.
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The Barsapara Cricket Stadium could further strengthen Chopra’s argument. Across 15 white-ball matches at the venue, including ODIs, T20Is and IPL fixtures, teams batting second have won eight times. India also successfully chased 323 against West Indies in the previous ODI between the teams at the ground.
Aakash Chopra believes India can still win after losing the toss but would need a substantial total to counter the dew advantage. “India can still win the match after losing the toss, let’s be fair, but for that they will have to score 350,” he said, suggesting that a big first-innings total could be crucial if India have to defend with a wet ball.
