Cricket has changed in India. The dream for many is no longer to represent the national team but rather to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL). And it makes sense. Cricket isn’t just a sport that millions love, but also a pathway to financial success. In years gone by, when there was little to no money in cricket, players suffered. So much for living your dream when you can’t provide your family with basic amenities. With the advent of IPL, you don’t need to rely on making it to the Indian Team to ensure not only your present but your future is secured.
The Naman Dhir story
As it happens, most cricketers come from humble beginnings. We’ve all heard Yashasvi Jaiswal or Rinku Singh’s story, but what about thousands of such stories? When years of hard work and perseverance don’t amount to anything. Luckily, Naman Dhir isn’t one of thousands. Well, not anymore. The batter from Punjab earned himself a Rs 5.25 crore contract from the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the IPL 2025 mega auction. He’d already played for Mumbai last season, finding success and plaudits.
Naman Dhir’s MI/IPL stats
| Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s | Highest Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 140 | 23.33 | 177.21 | 1 | 62* |
Now he isn’t a fringe player but a main squad member who was paid fairly, and he’s going to make good use of this money. The 24-year-old didn’t make his domestic debut until he’d turned 21. That may not sound old, but remember a 13-year-old was just bought at the auction. Hailing from Faridkot, which has long been viewed as a small district and therefore doesn’t get importance from national selectors, Naman didn’t get his first chance for years.
But the journey to even get there wasn’t easy. Naman’s father Naresh, works at a chemist shop, didn’t find it easy to fund his cricket ambitions. He already had two daughters and if it weren’t for his Nana (mother’s father), Naman wouldn’t have a career.
“Fourteen years ago, it was (money) 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,” Naresh Dhir told Indian Express.
What Naman Dhir will do after getting an IPL contract
Naman made it finally to Punjab’s Ranji team in December 2022. And now, he’s gotten a hefty contract in the IPL, but two of his biggest supporters are here to it. His Nana passed away soon after his Ranji debut, and his mentor/coach, Gagan Sidhu, who fought everyone when he wasn’t selected time and again, left his side last year as well.
So, Naman has two ambitions now. First as his father Naresh narrated, “Ek ghar banayenge acha sa (will build a good home). The second is being there for his mentor’s son like he was there was him. “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. 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,” Naman said.
