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    “You have seen me play more T20s” – Mumbai Indians star opens up after maiden ODI call-up in IND vs WI 2026 series

    Gossip
    Runfyers
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    Mumbai Indians (MI) and Punjab batter Naman Dhir has opened up after receiving his maiden call-up for the upcoming three-game ODI series against West Indies. The opening game will be played on September 27 in Thiruvananthapuram, while the remaining two will be hosted in Guwahati and New Chandigarh on September 30 and October 3, respectively.

    On Wednesday, September 16, the BCCI announced the 15-member ODI squad. With India also set to compete in the T20I format at the 2026 Asian Games during the same period, the squad featured maiden ODI call-ups for Dhir and Auqib Nabi.

    Reacting to the call-up in a video posted by Star Sports, the right-hander stated that one-day cricket is his favorite format. He noted that fans have seen him more often in T20 cricket, as his 50-over debut came only a couple of years ago and he has featured more regularly in the IPL over the last three seasons. He said:

    “The one-day format is my favorite. You have seen me play more T20s because my ODI debut came only about two years ago, and I have played more T20 cricket because I have featured in quite a few IPL matches. But one-day cricket is also my favorite format because you have to build your game and construct your innings, and you get a different situation every time. So, the one-day format is definitely one of my favorite formats.”

    Naman Dhir made his List A debut against Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy on December 28, 2024. Since then, he has featured in 14 games, scoring 351 runs at an average of 39.00 and a strike rate of 106.36, including four fifties. He also has seven wickets to his name.

    Naman Dhir lit up the Sher-E-Punjab T20 League 2026

    Naman Dhir was recently in action in the Sher-E-Punjab T20 League 2026, where he led Amritsar Soormas to the title after defeating Ludhiana Lions in the final on September 13. He was also named the Player of the Tournament.

    The 26-year-old finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer, amassing 655 runs in 10 innings at an average of 72.78 and a strike rate of 217.61. His tally included two fifties and a century, with a best score of 173. He also claimed seven wickets in nine innings at an economy rate of 9.41.