“It was a surreal feeling”: Naman Dhir gets emotional on his India call-up

Naman Dhir recalls his emotional India call-up after years of struggle, an IPL breakthrough and a stunning Sher-e-Punjab T20 campaign.

Naman Dhir’s maiden India call-up for the ODI series against West Indies was so unexpected that he initially mistook the news for spam. The Punjab batter had no idea that the national selection was coming when a congratulatory message appeared on his Instagram account.

Dhir ignored the message at first. It was only after he checked the official India team announcement and spotted his name that the significance of the moment began to sink in. The Faridkot-based cricketer said he needed several minutes to process what had happened before calling his father.

“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 route to the Indian team was far from straightforward. After representing Punjab at the Under-16 level, he spent around six to seven years away from competitive cricket at the higher levels.

His career received a fresh push when he performed strongly in the Under-25 tournament. That run of performances eventually earned him a Ranji Trophy opportunity before the IPL opened another important door.

“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.

Dhir’s first IPL season in 2024 brought him wider attention. He announced himself with a powerful 28-ball 62 against Lucknow Super Giants and soon developed a reputation as an attacking middle-order batter.

His progress continued through the India A setup in 2025. He also featured in the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup, giving him further exposure at the representative level.

The biggest push towards senior India selection, however, came during the Sher-e-Punjab T20 tournament.

🚨NAMAN DHIR GOT THE INDIA CALL🚨

-Naman Dhir has received his maiden India ODI call-up for the West Indies

Dhir produced a remarkable run in the recently completed tournament, finishing with 655 runs at a strike rate of 217.61.

His tally included 49 fours and an equal number of sixes. The standout performance came when he smashed 173 from just 64 deliveries, producing one of the most striking innings of his recent career.

His performance came at a crucial time. Just eight days after the tournament, Dhir was named in India’s ODI squad for the West Indies series. He had also been selected for India A’s one-day matches against Australia A in Puducherry.

For Dhir, the India call-up carries an additional significance because of the players he grew up watching.

“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.

The prospect of entering the India dressing room alongside players who shaped his early cricketing memories has made the selection even more meaningful.

Dhir is expected to be considered for a dynamic middle-order role during the West Indies ODI series. For now, however, the batter is concentrating on enjoying a moment he spent years working towards.

“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.

From spending years away from the spotlight to producing a huge Sher-e-Punjab campaign and earning his first India call-up, Dhir’s journey has now reached a defining stage.