India have discovered several positives in their ongoing T20I series against New Zealand, with emerging players strengthening their claims for regular places in the playing XI. Naman Dhir has impressed with his aggressive middle-order batting, while Tilak Varma continues to establish himself as a dependable finisher. Nitish Kumar Reddy has also caught attention with his valuable all-round contributions.
Former India cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath believes the performances of Dhir and Reddy could make it increasingly difficult for Shivam Dube to regain his place in the team. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Badrinath highlighted the importance of having players who can contribute with the bat, ball and in the field.
“I won’t say it’s the end of the road for him, considering the possibility of injuries to others. But it’ll be very difficult for him to break into the playing XI again. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Naman Dhir fit into the same category very well. They bowl, bat, and are excellent fielders. These two are multidimensional, especially with their fielding,” Subramaniam Badrinath said.
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He further explained that Dube’s comparatively limited contributions across different departments could work against him when India select their strongest combination. “Meanwhile, Dube is somewhat one-dimensional. He can smash spinners and give you two overs of bowling. And his fielding is poor. Fielding and fitness are areas where Dube takes a hit. So it’s going to be hard for him to return to the XI,” he added.
Dhir has strengthened his position with impressive performances in the series. He smashed an unbeaten 42 off just 15 deliveries in the opening T20I before scoring another 31 runs in the second match. His ability to provide quick runs and offer off-spin bowling gives India greater flexibility.
Subramanium Badrinath also felt Dhir’s second-match contribution deserved more recognition, particularly given the challenging situation in which he batted. “His (Naman Dhir’s) knock was underrated in the second T20I. It came when the situation was tough. Even Tilak Varma acknowledged it after the game. And he bowls off-spin as well,” he said.
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Reddy has made a strong impression too, scoring an unbeaten 26 off 13 balls at No. 8 and claiming a wicket in the third T20I. Meanwhile, New Zealand entered the October 27 encounter at Hutt Recreation Ground trailing 2-0. With Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson unavailable, the hosts needed a victory to keep the series alive.
