Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 26 (IANS) When Naman Dhir first saw a congratulatory message on social media after he got his maiden India call-up for the upcoming ODI series against the West Indies, he casually dismissed it as spam.

But when he finally opened the official team announcement post, the Faridkot-based Dhir froze in disbelief and needed ten minutes just to comprehend that his lifelong dream had finally come true. “Our Sher-e-Punjab tournament in Punjab was over, so I was there. Actually, I had no idea that there would be a call-up or anything like that. So I got a message on Instagram congratulating me. I ignored it; I thought it might be something else.

“But I opened that post, and after that, when I saw my name, I couldn't process it for 10 minutes. I mean, I've been selected here. But yes, it was a surreal feeling. First of all, I called my father; he was very happy. He had a lot of emotions coming out,” Dhir said in a video posted by the BCCI on its social media handles on Saturday.

Dhir’s path to the national dressing room has been defined by a never-give-up attitude. After representing Punjab at the U-16 level, he endured nearly seven years of complete oblivion, finding himself off the radar before a breakthrough season in the U-25 tournament reignited his career, leading to a Ranji Trophy debut and subsequently an IPL contract with Mumbai Indians.

“Every kid who starts playing cricket has a dream to represent India, and to play a match for India. So, I guess for me, it's still a dream come true. I feel like I'm living my dream. The old Naman was quitting at one point, but the new Naman will say that you should keep working hard with a pure heart.

“If you're honest with your work and your hard work, you'll get a 100 percent result. I represented Punjab in the U-16s. After that, I didn't play anything for 6-7 years, till U-25s. After that, I got a breakthrough and scored runs in the U-25s, and then I was called up for the Ranji Trophy.

“Then IPL came, and that's when my journey started. So, those 6-7 years were tough, but as I said, if you're honest with your work and your hard work, you'll get a 100 percent result,” he added.

First making heads turn during his maiden IPL stint in 2024 with a blistering 28-ball 62 against Lucknow Super Giants, Dhir soon established himself as a potent middle-order striking option. His steady progression through the India A setup in 2025, including the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup, kept him firmly on the selectors' radar.

However, the definitive push for a national call-up came during the recently concluded Sher-e-Punjab T20 tournament. Dhir amassed 655 runs at an astronomical strike rate of 217.61, powered by 49 boundaries and as many sixes.

The centrepiece of that campaign was a jaw-dropping 173 off just 64 balls. Eight days later, the India call-up arrived, right after he had also been named in the India A squad for the one-dayers against Australia A in Puducherry.

“All the legends in the dressing room, Virat bhai, Rohit bhai, even Shubman and everyone- I grew up watching them. I started playing cricket after watching them. The memories of the 2011 World Cup, everyone's, the Champions Trophy 2013. So sharing the dressing room with them was a big deal for me,” he said.

With selectors slating him for a dynamic middle-order role in the series, Dhir is focused on soaking in the moment. “Getting the India cap, I don't know how I'll feel then. But right now, what I'm thinking is that I want to enjoy this moment to the fullest because I've waited my whole life for this moment. As far as I'm concerned, I'll give more than 100 percent, but I want to enjoy it even more,” he concluded.

--IANS

nr/bsk/