Less than two years ago, Naman Dhir was quietly filling out paperwork, preparing to trade his cricket bat for a permanent residency visa to Canada. On Thursday at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, he was at the centre of the action, unbeaten on 42 off just 15 balls.Cracking five fours and two sixes in a high-octane finish, the 24-year-old all-rounder powered India to chase down a target of 226 against New Zealand in the first T20I of the five-match series. India reached 230/6 in 19.4 overs, securing a four-wicket victory with two balls to spare.Back at his family home on Faridkot’s New Cantt Road, tears of joy flowed as the family celebrated a journey that came close to ending in early 2022.Born on December 31, 1999, in Ambala, Naman moved to Faridkot as a child when his father, Naresh Kumar Dhir, took up a job at a local medical shop. Living on a modest income, financing cricket gear, club memberships and travel expenses was a constant struggle. Yet his mother, Nirupama, and father always found a way to support his dream.Naman’s raw talent was first recognised not on a manicured turf but in the narrow lanes of his neighbourhood.Arun Devgan, a local resident, physical trainer and cricket enthusiast, spotted eight-year-old Naman playing street cricket and immediately noticed something special.“I saw him playing in the street and noticed his bat swing and grip were natural,” recalls Devgan. “I spoke to his mother and told her we should take him to the ground—he had the makings of a real player.”Devgan took the youngster under his wing, introducing him to formal training under the late Gagan Deep Singh Sandhu and Subhash Devgan.From those early drills, Naman’s trajectory took off. Playing in an Under-16 inter-district tournament for the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) against Barnala, he smashed 471 runs in a two-day match, signalling his appetite for big scores.The road, however, was filled with scepticism. When Naman chose to skip an annual Class 11 History examination to represent his side in a crucial cricket match, school authorities and neighbours cautioned his parents.“You are ruining your son’s academic career,” Naresh Dhir remembers being warned. But the father stood firm behind his son’s passion.Despite his natural gift, a setback hit hard after his Under-16 stint. Selectors overlooked Naman for nearly four years. By early 2022, frustrated by stagnation and financial constraints, he made the difficult decision to pack his bags for Canada, where his elder sisters had settled.That was when his father made one final plea: “Give cricket just one more year.” Naman agreed—and everything changed.In December 2022, Naman made his Ranji Trophy debut for Punjab, scoring 476 runs in eight matches, including two centuries. He went on to play a pivotal role in Punjab’s historic Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy triumph in the 2023-24 season.His explosive power-hitting quickly caught the eye of IPL talent scouts. In December 2023, he was picked up by Mumbai Indians for Rs 20 lakh. In November 2024, he was retained by the franchise for Rs 5.25 crore. In the 2025 season, he played all 16 matches for Mumbai Indians, finishing as their second-highest run-scorer.His strong performances in domestic cricket continued into September 2025, when he smashed 173 off just 64 balls, reaching his century in 37 balls, for Amritsar Sooremas against Mohali Kings in the Sher-e-Punjab T20 tournament. He also bagged the Man of the Tournament award.He earned his maiden call-up to the Indian ODI setup against the West Indies soon after, setting the stage for his current T20I exploits in New Zealand.For Arun Devgan, who helped plant the seed of Naman’s career, watching him win matches for India is deeply emotional.“I don’t claim to be his coach—I was just a well-wisher who held his hand and took him to the ground,” Devgan says. “In our house, we always tell him he’s like a son to us. To see a boy from our small town of Faridkot make the nation proud is the greatest feeling.”The only lingering regret for the family and his early mentors is that his early coach, Gagan Sandhu, is no longer alive to witness his pupil’s crowning moments.“He would have been the happiest man today,” says Naresh Dhir, looking back at the incredible journey that almost didn’t happen.