Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has praised Naman Dhir for the composure he showed during his knock in the second T20I against New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday, October 24. Sent in to bat, New Zealand posted 180/5 in 20 overs, and in reply, India lost half their side for 70 in 10.5 overs. Walking in at No. 7, Naman Dhir scored a 31 off 17 balls, hitting one four and three sixes. Tilak Varma (51* off 26 balls) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (26* off 13 balls) then added together an unbeaten 69-run stand off 30 balls to help India secure a four-wicket win with one ball remaining.

Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel (Irfan Pathan), he said: “I want to check Naman Dhir’s heart rate! What a player he is. He is also extremely versatile. We have spoken about him before, but he came in and played the pull shot with ease despite being under pressure. It makes no difference to him. He has so much time to play the pull shot, and he executes it brilliantly. Once again, he was outstanding. He played a superb innings under pressure in the first match as well, and he has been equally impressive here. His strike rate is phenomenal, and his batting has been excellent.”

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“I want to take one of those medical telescopes, put it near Naman Dhir’s chest, and check his heart rate while he is batting. I feel he is extremely cool and calm. His heartbeat must remain very controlled, which is why you cannot even tell that he is batting in a pressure situation, especially considering he has only just come into the team,” he further added.

However, Irfan Pathan praised Shreyas Iyer for giving Naman Dhir an over after the powerplay, where he conceded just seven runs as well.

“One thing I liked was the way Shreyas Iyer gave him an over to bowl at the right time. It allowed the captain to get a bit of breathing space while also giving Naman Dhir the confidence that he can bowl on these pitches too. He is a decent bowler. His release point and trajectory are signs of a good defensive bowler. So, he has also gained a little confidence from getting that one over, but the way he is batting is solid,” he concluded.