Amritsar Soormas captain Naman Dhir scored a remarkable 173 runs off 64 balls against Mohali Kings in the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League at IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Tuesday. His innings included 16 fours and 12 sixes, helping his team secure a 67-run win.
Dhir attributed his performance to focusing on playing each ball on its merit rather than aiming for personal milestones. “I was just focused on playing every ball on its merit. I wasn’t thinking about my personal score. After my first six, I felt that if I could bat through, we could put up a really big total. So, the focus was always on the team,” he said.
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He added that once he found his rhythm and started hitting boundaries, he realised he was having a special day but did not want to overthink the situation. “I just wanted to keep playing my shots and stay in the moment,” he explained.
Towards the end of his innings, Dhir became
Towards the end of his innings, Dhir became aware that he was approaching Chris Gayle’s T20 record of 175 not out, the highest individual score in men’s T20 cricket. However, he avoided letting the record distract him. “I became aware towards the end that I was getting close. But I didn’t want to get distracted by the record. My focus was on scoring as many runs as possible for the team. Being so close to a record held by Chris Gayle is definitely very special,” he said.
Dhir also praised his understanding with captain Abhishek Sharma, highlighting their shared aggressive approach and communication as key factors in maintaining pressure on opposing bowlers. “We both like to play with intent and put pressure on the bowlers. So, there is a natural understanding between us. We communicate, assess the situation and try to keep the momentum going,” he said.
Amritsar Soormas currently sit second in the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League standings, with four wins and three losses from seven matches.
Source: thenewsmill.com
