India all-rounder Naman Dhir has declared his ambition to cement himself as a genuine all-rounder in international cricket, though he acknowledged that making a larger impact with the bat remains his immediate focus heading into the 4th T20I against the West Indies in Hyderabad on 14 October 2026. India enter the contest holding a 2-1 series lead, but Dhir cautioned against any sense of complacency.

No Room for Complacency, Says Dhir

Speaking ahead of the Hyderabad clash, the 26-year-old was emphatic that India cannot afford to ease off despite their advantage in the five-match series. 'West Indies obviously are a very dangerous team, especially in this format. The learning would be that you can't be complacent at any stage of the series. Yes, we are 2-1 up, but we'll still play the game with the same intensity,' Dhir said.

The all-rounder pointed to the dimensions of the Hyderabad ground as a factor that gives him added confidence, noting that it is noticeably larger than the Holkar Stadium in Indore, where India secured their previous victory. 'If you see the ground of Indore, it was pretty smaller than that. So I'm a little more confident than in Indore from the last game,' he said.

India's Leading Wicket-Taker With a Quirky Record

Dhir has been a standout performer with the ball in the series, emerging as India's highest wicket-taker with five scalps across the three matches played so far. However, his wicket-taking has come with an unusual footnote — each of his dismissals has been preceded by conceding a six, a pattern he is eager to break. 'I hope this time I won't concede a six before getting a wicket. I didn't know that I am the highest wicket-taker till now in this series,' he admitted.

Dhir also revealed that he has been working closely on his bowling craft. 'I have a lot of learnings. I've been talking to Gautam (Gambhir) sir and every other coach. So they are talking to me about a few aspects of bowling,' he said, crediting head coach Gautam Gambhir for the guidance.

How India Won the Third T20I in Indore

India's 14-run victory in the third T20I at Holkar Stadium, Indore was built on a commanding performance that saw them defend a total of 223. Abhishek Sharma's blistering 69 off 30 balls set the platform, though the innings slowed in the second half, leaving the bowlers with a testing ask.

The West Indies mounted a credible chase, propelled by Shimron Hetmyer's 43 and Kamil Pooran's 42. A late cameo of 35 runs off just 11 deliveries by Shamar Springer added late drama, but Arshdeep Singh's three-wicket burst and Dhir's two wickets proved decisive, restricting the visitors to 209. It was also India's first win while batting first in the white-ball series.

Ambitions Beyond the Current Series

Despite his contributions with the ball, Dhir was candid that he views batting as the area where he must grow most urgently. 'No, I definitely want to be a genuine all-rounder, but at the time I prefer that I should score more with the bat. I had the opportunity in the last game. But, yeah, I'm happy that we ended up on the winning side,' he added.

With the series poised at 2-1 and two matches remaining, India will look to seal the series in Hyderabad while West Indies will be desperate to level and keep their own hopes alive.