Naman Dhir was the star of the show in the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League 2026 with 173 runs from just 64 balls for Amritsar Surmas against Mohali Kings. The Amritsar captain turned the 18th match of the tournament into a one man batting exhibition as he cleared the boundary over and over again putting Mohali bowling attack under immense pressure.
Dhir’s blitzkrieg innings included 12 fours and 16 sixes so he had a strike rate of more than 270. It powered Amritsar Surmas to 279/7 in their 20 overs and also put Mumbai Indians player among the most explosive individual performers in T20 cricket.
Dhir Surpasses Aaron Finch’s T20I Record
The highlight of Dhir’s innings was the fact that he went into the record books. He got to 173 and passed former Australia captain Aaron Finch’s (172) score in T20I against Zimbabwe in 2018. Finch’s knock was one of the highest individual scores in men’s T20 internationals but Dhir’s sensational knock took him over the line in style.
However there was still another bigger target to be achieved. Dhir was only two runs short of Chris Gayle’s famous 175 not out for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in the 2013 Indian Premier League. Gayle’s innings is one of the best ever seen of T20 power-hitting and Dhir came agonisingly close to matching West Indies great Gayle.
That Dhir scored 173 off only 64 balls makes it even more remarkable. His innings was not one of short bursts of aggression, but sustained aggression: 16 maximums meant a lot of his runs came from boundaries and 12 fours put further pressure on the opposition bowlers.
A Strike Rate That Underlined the Carnage
Dhir’s strike rate was comfortably above 270 as he scored at an extraordinary pace. In T20 cricket it is very difficult to score at that rate over a big innings especially when you are facing a bowling attack which keeps changing its plans.
The Amritsar captain didn’t look like slowing down as his innings progressed. Mohali bowlers couldn’t get in to him and Dhir was finding gaps all over the park and clearing the ropes. He had both conventional boundary shots and big six-hitting to keep Amritsar scoring at a phenomenal rate all through the innings.
For a man who has played for Mumbai Indians in IPL the performance also reminded people of Dhir’s potential in the shortest format — his ability to strike the ball cleanly and still be aggressive makes him an exciting player to watch as he continues to develop his T20 game.
Amritsar Surmas Post 279/7
Dhir’s 173 was the bedrock of Amritsar Surmas’ huge total. Although the captain was in fine form, Jashnpreet Singh (41 off 25 balls) also chipped in with three fours and two sixes as Amritsar continued to build momentum around Dhir’s assault.
The rest of the Surmas batting line-up struggled to match the brilliance of their captain but Dhir’s individual brilliance got them over the line for one of the tournament’s biggest totals.
Mohali Kings did take wickets but Ayush Goyal was their most successful bowler with four wickets. Harpreet Brar, Harshdeep Singh and Tajpreet Singh picked up one wicket apiece but the damage had been done already as Dhir’s big innings put Amritsar in control.
Dhir’s Record Knock Adds Another Chapter
Dhir missed Gayle’s 175 but his 173 was an extraordinary effort nonetheless. Finch had previously gone past him with 172 and being so close to Gayle’s famous record puts the 25-year-old in elite T20 company.
The innings also showed the depth of India’s domestic T20 talent. Performances like Dhir’s can give players momentum and raise expectations around their future at the highest level.
For Amritsar Surmas meanwhile Dhir’s explosive contribution gave them a huge platform and showed how important it is to have a batter who can completely turn a T20 match on its head. His 173-run blitz will always be one of the defining performances of the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League 2026.
16 sixes, 12 fours and 173 runs off only 64 balls — Naman Dhir came oh so close to rewriting one of T20 cricket’s most famous records. Chris Gayle’s 175 got away for another day but Dhir’s heroics ensured his name was in the record books.
