"He has played many crucial knocks, and he is a six-hitter" - Aakash Chopra on the No. 5 to No. 7 battle in PBKS vs MI IPL 2025 Qualifier 2

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that Naman Dhir will be a key lower-middle-order batter for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 against the Punjab Kings (PBKS). He pointed out that the youngster has played many vital knocks this season and is known for his big-hitting ability.

MI and PBKS will square off in the third playoff game of IPL 2025 in Ahmedabad on Sunday, June 1. The winner will face the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the final at the same venue two days later.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener reflected on the two teams' lower-middle order ahead of the IPL 2025 Qualifier 2. He pointed out that Naman Dhir and Hardik Pandya hold the key for MI, considering Raj Angad Bawa's relative inexperience.

"Who comes from No. 5 to No. 7? Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh and Marcus Stoinis come for the Punjab Kings. For the Mumbai Indians, you will get Hardik Pandya, Nehal Wadhera, and after that, Raj Angad Bawa. Raj Angad Bawa has come as a slight wildcard entry. The scales start tilting slightly in Punjab's favor," Chopra said (9:20).

"Naman Dhir and Hardik Pandya are both critical components of this team. Naman Dhir has impressed a lot. He comes from Punjab only. He has played many crucial knocks, and he is a six-hitter," he added.

While observing that Hardik played a crucial cameo in MI's 20-run Eliminator win against the Gujarat Titans (GT) on May 30, Chopra highlighted that Bawa hasn't yet been tested on the big stage.

"Hardik Pandya is the captain. His first half was good, and he was batting well in the last match as well. In fact, Mumbai won the match by 20 runs and he scored 22 runs in the last over. He hit three sixes. Raj Angad Bawa is still not tested. So they will fall slightly behind there," he elaborated.

Raj Angad Bawa hasn't yet batted or bowled in IPL 2025. While Naman Dhir has smashed 215 runs at a strike rate of 179.16 in 11 innings this season, Hardik Pandya's 209 runs in 11 innings have come at a strike rate of 168.54.

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"He has consistently batted well" - Aakash Chopra on Nehal Wadhera ahead of PBKS vs MI IPL 2025 Qualifier 2

Nehal Wadhera is PBKS' fourth-highest run-getter in IPL 2025. [P/C: Getty]

Turning his attention to the Punjab Kings, Aakash Chopra noted that Nehal Wadhera (306 runs at a strike rate of 148.54 in 13 innings), Shashank Singh (287 runs at a strike rate of 147.17 in 12 innings) and Marcus Stoinis (152 runs at a strike rate of 185.36 in nine innings) have fared decently in IPL 2025.

"Nehal Wadhera - he has been good. He has consistently batted well. Along with him, Shashank Singh. Again, he bats well at the death and takes the game deep, and Marcus Stoinis, who has come back to form," he said (10:00) in the same video.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the trio's failure in PBKS' Qualifier 1 loss to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) does not give a true picture of their prowess.

"All three got out in the last match, but we don't have to look at the last match at all because no one scored runs. That is not a true reflection of how good these people are," Chopra observed.

To conclude, Aakash Chopra noted that Raj Angad Bawa's presence might have tilted the scales in the Punjab Kings' favor in the lower-middle-order battle. However, he added that Hardik Pandya and Naman Dhir are as good as the PBKS trio and that there is very little to choose between the two sides in that department.