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India all-rounder Naman Dhir was awarded the Impact Player of the Series medal in the dressing room following his impressive performances in his maiden overseas tour during the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which India won 3-2.
The BCCI shared a video on social media in which India's strength and conditioning coach Adrian Le Roux presented the medal to Dhir after the fifth and final T20I in Hamilton on Sunday. "The one who stepped onto the plate and took responsibility for the team. A stellar maiden overseas tour, capped off with the Impact Player of the Series medal for Naman Dhir," the BCCI wrote in a post on X. After receiving the medal, Dhir expressed his delight at the recognition and India's series victory. https://x.com/BCCI/status/2117140827848016048 "First of all, thank you Adrian for giving me this medal. I really enjoyed it, especially it is quite satisfying that we won the overseas series. It's my first overseas tour and I'm getting this medal," Dhir said. The 26-year-old made a significant contribution with the bat throughout the series, scoring 138 runs in five matches. He began with an unbeaten 42 off just 15 deliveries in the opening T20I, followed by 31 off 17 balls in the second match. He also scored 28 off 13 balls in the fourth T20I and finished the series with 33 off 23 deliveries in the final match. In the third T20I, Dhir hit the winning boundary as India secured a 3-0 lead in the series. Although he bowled only two overs and did not take a wicket, Dhir also made his presence felt in the field with some useful contributions. Dhir, who made his T20I debut against West Indies in Lucknow last month, has featured in 10 T20Is and three ODIs for India. An explosive middle-order batter who can also contribute with his part-time spin, he has strengthened his case in India's white-ball setup. India lost the fifth T20I by seven wickets at Seddon Park, with New Zealand chasing down the target of 192 in 17.4 overs to register a consolation win. Tim Seifert led the chase with 93 off 50 balls, while Glenn Phillips remained unbeaten on 65 off 38 deliveries. Phillips, who scored 341 runs in the five-match series, was named Player of the Series. His tally was the highest by a batter in a five-match T20I bilateral series. Despite losing the last two matches, India had already secured the series by winning the first three games. Now, the caravan will move to Auckland, where India take on the hosts in the first ODI match on Wednesday. (ANI)
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