Mumbai Indians batter Naman Dhir, who was picked up for Rs 5.2 crore at the recent IPL 2025 mega auction, has said that he follows Virat Kohli 'a lot' and is looking forward to interacting with him during the next season. He admitted that Kohli is his idol and admires his passion and work ethic, which have made Kohli one of the most popular Indian athletes.
Dhir said he could not converse with Kohli during IPL 2024 but would grab the chance in the upcoming season. The Haryana-born lad plays domestic cricket for Punjab.
Not just Dhir, but several upcoming youngsters have confessed how Kohli has inspired them. Recently, Nitish Reddy's words about him looking up to Kohli as his idol went viral.
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"I follow Virat Kohli a lot. His work ethic, dedication towards the game and passion, I follow that a lot. Sadly, I didn't get a chance to interact with him but I will 100 per cent talk to him this time," Dhir said while speaking to Sports Tak.
Dhir, who also played for Mumbai last season, was picked up by the five-time champions using the Right to Match card. He said that if MI hadn't picked him, he would have loved to play for the Royal Challengers Bangalore or the Punjab Kings.
"RCB bid for me at the start and then there was Punjab in the middle. After MI, these were the two teams that I would have liked to go to. Punjab is my home and there is Virat Kohli in RCB, with whom I have an emotional connection because he is a hero of the country," Dhir said.
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In addition to MI, RCB, and PBKS, Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals also bid for the batter. Rajasthan placed the final bid before Mumbai picked Dhir up.