“It Is Shocking!”: Former SRH Batter Questions Naman Dhir’s Selection In ODI Squad For West Indies Series
Hanuman Vihari has lashed out at the national selectors regarding the selection of Naman Dhir for the upcoming ODI series against West Indies. He has called the selection as “shocking” as he feels that Dhir’s domestic numbers are not enough for selection. India will play a three-match ODI series against West Indies from September 27 to October 3, 2026.
Former India and SRH batter Hanuma Vihari has bluntly labeled Naman Dhir’s maiden call-up in the national squad for the upcoming ODI series against the West Indies as “shocking” and also raised questions regarding the player’s inconsistent form in the domestic cricket. Vihari noted that despite a standout performance in a T20 league and brief contributions for the Mumbai Indians, Dhir’s overall 50-over domestic record does not warrant a national team selection. India will play a three-match ODI series against West Indies from September 27 to October 3, 2026.
Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel named ‘Hanuma Vihari’s Powerplay’, Vihari opened up about the selection of Naman Dhir “There are many changes in the ODI team, of course, because the Asian Games is happening at the same time. But they have picked Naman Dhir. How is it possible? His domestic numbers are not convincing. Yes, he played a big knock in the Punjab league, and even for Mumbai Indians he has won some games, but it has been up and down. I have my doubts, and it is shocking,” he said.
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Dhir’s selection came at a time when the Board of Control for Cricket for India (BCCI) is balancing a highly congested international calendar, with the national team fielding multiple squads due to an overlap with the 2026 Asian Games assignment. Regular middle-order options like Shreyas Iyer are busy with the Asian Games which created a vacancy in the middle-order in the ODI squad eventually leading to the selectors choosing Naman Dhir and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Dhir’s recent performances
Dhir completely dominated in the recent Sher-E-Punjab T20 Cup while leading the Amritsar Soormas. He ended the tournament as the leading run-scorer and was named the Player of the Tournament. His massive T20 numbers caught the eyes of the selectors. He has scored 655 runs across 10 matches in the tournament with an average of 72.78 alongside a mammoth strike rate of 217.61. He left his impact in the tournament while scoring three fifties and three centuries. His breakthrough moment came against the Mohali Kings, where he smashed 173 runs off just 64 balls which eventually became the highest individual score ever recorded across all state-run franchise leagues on Indian soil.
In the same 2026 Sher-E-Punjab tournament, he also picked up 7 wickets at a bowling average of 21.29, proving his capability as a genuine multi-dimensional player. Dhir has been an impactful asset for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL), scoring 318 runs at a healthy strike rate of 147.22 in the recent season. He was initially included in the India ‘A’ squad to play Australia ‘A’ but was rapidly fast-tracked into the senior side following his relentless domestic exploits.
IND vs WI ODI series fixtures
The West Indian tour of India 2026 schedule features a 3-match ODI series running from September 27 to October 3, 2026. The fixtures are as follows:
- 1st ODI: September 27, 2026 – Thiruvananthapuram (Greenfield International Stadium),
- 2nd ODI: September 30, 2026 – Guwahati (Barsapara Cricket Stadium),
- 3rd ODI: October 3, 2026 – New Chandigarh (Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur).
India’s squad for the West Indies ODI series
Shubman Gill (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar and Auqib Nabi.
Source: www.sportscapemagazine.com
