In an IPL mega auction that saw the likes of David Warner and Kane Williamson go unsold, uncapped players like Naman Dhir got a good deal. Naman was bought by MI via the RTM card for Rs. 5.25 crore. This was after DC, PBKS, RR and RCB bid for him. MI jumped in at the right time and roped him back in.

Naman played seven games for MI in IPL 2024 with 140 runs and a best of 62. But believe it or not, he almost followed Jasprit Bumrah’s path a couple of years back. No, we are not talking about becoming a fast bowler, but about going to Canada. That’s right, at one point even Bumrah thought of doing so. Naman had plans to quit the game and take up permanent residency in Canada.

“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,” Naman told The Indian Express.

“My heart was pumping. I had a decent season with MI last year. I was hopeful that I would get an IPL contract, but never in the wildest imagination did it cross my mind that I would get this much money,” he added.

“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,'” Naman’s father Naresh told the Daily.

Naman turns 25 towards the end of this year and has been in first-class cricket for a couple of years. He is a rising talent, especially in the shortest format. He made some waves in IPL 2024 and now with a new leash of life in MI, one can expect even greater things. If he justifies the monet spent on him, MI will feel vindicated. The 18th edition begins on March 14 next year and MI will be gunning for title number six, a record they can keep to themselves.