MI's ₹5.25 crore recruit Naman Dhir takes fifer in SMAT
What's the story
Mumbai Indians shelled out a whopping ₹5.25 crore for uncapped Naman Dhir at the Indian Premier League 2025 auction in Jeddah. Notably, MI got the all-rounder through the Right To Match (RTM) card. On Sunday, Dhir showed his prowess in the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Dhir claimed 5/19 from his four overs, helping Punjab down Hyderabad by 7 runs.
Performance
Dhir helps Punjab down Hyderabad
Dhir faltered with the bat for Punjab, scoring an 11-ball 9 while batting at number five. Punjab posted a challenging score of 196/6 in 20 overs. Anmolpreet Singh and Ramandeep Singh shone. In response, Dhir made the difference as Hyderabad were folded for 189 in 20 overs. Dhir bowled at an economy rate of 5.75. He took the crucial scalp of Rohit Rayudu.
Information
Maiden career fifer for Dhir
Dhir, who has played 17 T20 matches, picked his maiden fifer. As per ESPNcricinfo, he came into this contest, having bowled only 58 balls in his T20 career. Dhir owns 12 scalps in First-Class cricket where his best show is 2/5.
IPL
Dhir and his IPL journey
Dhir, who will play for MI in IPL 2025, played for the five-time IPL winners last season. He scored only 140 runs in seven games but had an impressive strike-rate of 177.21. His tally included a fifty. Dhir's last IPL innings was a solid half-century against Lucknow Super Giants. Although MI failed to chase down 215, Dhir's 28-ball 62* at number seven grabbed eyeballs.