It was almost a dream that never happened. After Naman represented Punjab U-16, he was ignored for the next four years. Reason: Faridkot is considered as a minor district (second tier). The frustration almost pushed him to apply for Canada’s Permanent Residency in 2022.

Punjab’s Naman Dhir in action during a Ranji Trophy match. (Special Arrangement)

“Half of the Punjab wants to move to Canada and I was also one of them. In early 2022, I almost gave up on cricket. My sister lives in Edmonton, Canada and I was planning to move there. My father said give yourself one year. I did and in December 2022 made my Ranji Trophy debut. A year later, in 2023 Mumbai Indians picked me,,” says Naman, laughing.

Back in Faridkot, his father Naresh, an employee at a chemist shop, has become an overnight celebrity. For the past two days, his phone has been continuously ringing. The shop is flanked by the local media and as Naman says, “Dhir saab is busy giving interviews and clicking photos.”

“Ye ek sapne jaisa hai (It is like a dream). More than a day has passed and I still pinch myself.Mai bas ek mulajim hun is dukaan mey (I am just a worker in this chemist shop,” Naresh Dhir tells this newspaper.

This was some journey. ”When I used to go to his school and take him out for his cricket practice, the principal ma’am used to say ‘Dhir sir you are ruining his career. No one has represented Punjab from Faridkot, forget India.’ Once this taunt became regular, I told Naman one day ‘Once you will come on TV hitting sixes these taunts will turn into claps,’” recollects Naresh.

Financial hurdles

For the past 20 years, he has been working in the chemist shop, earning merely Rs 10,000 a month. “Fourteen years ago, it was even less. It was Naman’s maternal grandfather (Dharam Pal Sethi), a school teacher who took care of everything and told me to let him play cricket. It was tough. I had two daughters as well. They are married now, one lives in Canada and the other in Australia. But with my experience, I must say, cricket is a very expensive sport. Thankfully once he started playing Ranji Trophy, things improved,” he says.

After several rejections, his career graph rose steeply in the last two years. But in this period he lost two of his biggest cheerleaders. His grandfather passed away after he made his Ranji debut and then last year he lost his childhood coach Gagan Sidhu. “Those losses affected me a lot. Nanu had lived his life, he was in his 80s but Gagan paji was only 36. He had a young family,” says Naman.

Naman Dhir with the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Punjab won last year (Special Arrangement)

“He taught me everything. Gagan paji was like an elder brother to me. He fought for me, when I was not picked for Punjab U-19. His son is very young. He is my responsibility now. I want to take care of him. I want to be an elder brother to him, just like his father was to me,” adds Naman.

Naman is the first player from Faridkot to play U-16, U-25 and Ranji Trophy for Punjab. He is the first from the region to play in the IPL, and he wants to be the first to represent India. ”I hope to do well for Punjab in the white-ball, then we need to finish strong in the Ranji Trophy and followed by the IPL. I have come this far and want to be the first from Faridkot to play for India,” he says.

The MI dressing room is an inspiration, he says. “When I first entered the MI team bus, I was awestruck. Be it Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma, all of them treated me like their younger brother. One thing I learnt from MI’s dressing room is that all of them are full of self-belief. Once Rohit bhai told me ‘Dekh skills yahaan sabke pass hai, but tera temperament tujhe baankiyon se alag karega (Everyone has got skills here, it is your temperament that would make you different from the others)’,” he recounts.

Back in Faridkot, Naresh is wondering whether to renovate their old house filled with memories or buy a new one. “I don’t know what to do. As a father of two daughters, I am attached to this house. I will let my son take the call,” he says.