NEW DELHI: When the selectors sprung a surprise by picking Naman Dhir for the West Indies series, eyebrows were raised and scepticism followed. But the Punjab all-rounder is slowly and steadily making a compelling case for himself with performances suggesting his selection may not have been as out of the blue as it seemed.

Dhir has dealt with scepticism and scrutiny right from his early days as a cricketer. So much so that, after being repeatedly overlooked by the Punjab selectors in 2021, he decided to pack his bags and move to Edmonton, Canada, where his sister lives. However, an assurance from his father, Naresh Dhir, and his late coach, Gagan Sidhu, convinced him to continue for one more year. Things changed rapidly for the all-rounder who always had the uncanny ability to break into a set-up after carefully analysing the right opening.