Naman Dhir, the Faridkot-based batting all-rounder, has revealed that his maiden India ODI call-up for the upcoming series against the West Indies left him frozen in disbelief — needing a full ten minutes just to register that his name had actually appeared in the official squad announcement. The revelation came in a video posted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on its social media handles on Saturday, 26 September 2026.

The Moment He Saw His Name

Dhir was in Punjab when the announcement dropped, having just wrapped up the Sher-e-Punjab T20 tournament. A congratulatory message on Instagram arrived first, but he dismissed it as spam. It was only when he opened the official BCCI post that reality set in. '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,' he said. His first call after seeing his name was to his father. 'He was very happy. He had a lot of emotions coming out,' Dhir added.

Seven Years in the Wilderness

Dhir's journey to the national squad is a study in perseverance. He represented Punjab at the Under-16 level before falling off the radar entirely — enduring nearly six to seven years of complete oblivion. A breakthrough season in the Under-25 tournament reignited his career, paving the way for a Ranji Trophy debut and, eventually, an IPL contract with Mumbai Indians. 'The old Naman was quitting at one point, but the new Naman will say that you should keep working hard with a pure heart,' he reflected. 'Those 6-7 years were tough, but if you're honest with your work and your hard work, you'll get a 100 percent result,' he added.

The IPL Breakthrough and the Sher-e-Punjab Surge

Dhir first announced himself on the national stage during the 2024 IPL season with Mumbai Indians, smashing a blistering 62 off 28 balls against Lucknow Super Giants. He continued his development through the India A setup in 2025, including the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup, keeping him firmly in selectors' sights. The final push came at the Sher-e-Punjab T20 tournament, where he amassed 655 runs at a staggering strike rate of 217.61 — including 49 boundaries and 49 sixes — and posted a jaw-dropping 173 off 64 balls. Just eight days after that innings, the India call-up arrived, coinciding with his selection for the India A one-day series against Australia A in Puducherry.

Sharing a Dressing Room With His Heroes

Dhir grew up watching the current generation of Indian cricket stars, making the prospect of sharing a dressing room with them particularly emotional. '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,' he said, also invoking memories of the 2011 World Cup and the Champions Trophy 2013. Selectors have earmarked him for a dynamic middle-order role in the ODI series.

What Dhir Is Focused On Now

Rather than getting ahead of himself, Dhir said his priority is to savour the experience. '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,' he said. With selectors banking on his explosive hitting in the middle overs, the upcoming ODI series against the West Indies could mark the beginning of a long international chapter for the Punjab batter.