Ex-India batter Cheteshwar Pujara feels that Naman Dhir needs to work on his bowling if he is looking to make it into India's XI lineup. This was after the third ODI match between India and West Indies, which took place on October 3 in New Chandigarh.
Naman Dhir, who debuted in the series, played in all three ODI matches. In the only game in which he batted, Dhir managed 30 runs in 21 balls and picked one wicket from three innings, having a strike rate of 104.00 and an economy of 6.30.
Pujara said that the off-spinner will need to get better if he is expected to bowl five or six overs in every game. Pujara went on to say that while he does not think that Dhir is good enough to be a front-line ODI player, he definitely thinks that the boy can back up a player like Washington Sundar.
“There is a lot of work to be done in his bowling. If he is expected to bowl five or six overs in ODI cricket, he will need to improve his bowling further. However, he has bowled reasonably well in this series. He will have to work harder on his bowling if he wants to be part of the Indian team’s playing XI.
I don’t think he will be a frontline player when it comes to ODI cricket, but he has shown the potential to be a backup option. If Washington Sundar is unavailable, he can be that kind of player. He may need to work more on his bowling, but he has shown potential with the bat and has demonstrated that he can bat well,” Pujara said on Star Sports.
Dhir will also feature for India in the upcoming five-match T20I series against West Indies starting from October 6.
Nitish Kumar Reddy's case was also discussed by Cheteshwar Pujara, and he noted that he will be part of India’s squad for the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa as Hardik Pandya's backup. Pujara also advised Reddy to improve his game going forward.
“And if we talk about Nitish Kumar Reddy, he will certainly be there in South Africa as a backup for Hardik. So, I think he needs to improve himself further in ODI cricket because he will be expected to bowl 10 overs. When he gets an opportunity with the bat, he will also be expected to make an important contribution.
I think Nitish Kumar Reddy needs to improve himself a little more in this format. He needs to challenge himself and ask whether he can replace Hardik in the playing XI. I think the answer is that if Hardik is fit, then obviously Nitish will not be part of the playing XI. But you should be good enough to challenge Hardik. That is what I would say,” he added.
Nitish Reddy made 9 runs in one innings and picked one wicket in two outings in the recent ODI series between India and West Indies.
