For a player who has grown up watching the IPL transform into cricket’s biggest stage, the moment felt surreal. Yet, he never got overwhelmed by it. As the bids climbed, Dahiya focused on staying calm rather than fixating on outcomes.

“It feels great. Honestly, I can’t imagine it even now,” he told HT. “No one thought it would go to ₹3 crore. For me and my family, it’s a really huge amount. I’m very happy and excited to be part of such a great franchise. KKR have won the IPL before, so I’m really excited about this opportunity.”

The moment, however, was less about surprise for his long-time coach Sanjay Bharadwaj, who has seen Dahiya’s growth from his early teens.

“I spoke to him after the auction,” Bharadwaj told HT. “He was happy and said he wasn’t expecting such a big bid. I told him, ‘We believed you could go even further.’”

For Bharadwaj, the numbers at the auction were merely validation of qualities he had identified years ago. “He was an attacking batter from the very beginning,” the coach recalled. “When he was 15-16, I made him the captain of the LB Shastri Club to develop his mental maturity.”

That early leadership role was deliberate. Bharadwaj believes temperament builds cricketers that can last. “In our field, there are ups and downs,” he said. “I don’t let my players fall. I give them exposure through local matches and tournaments. Exposure is the biggest factor in a cricketer’s growth.”

Dahiya’s professional journey began under Bharadwaj but what the coach saw had little to do with polished skills. “At the age of 12–13, not everyone can have perfect technique,” Dahiya explained. “Sir looks at mindset, mental maturity and jigra (heart). If a player can fight from a bad situation and try to win the match, that shows something special.”

Bharadwaj often uses words like jigra and dileri (courage) to describe the quality he values most. “That fearless mindset,” Dahiya said, “That’s what he focuses on.”

Bharadwaj confirmed that the first thing he saw in Dahiya was exactly that. That mental strength was evident early. During the Under-14 nationals, Dahiya was the last man standing in a losing chase. “We lost the match, but I was there till the end,” he said. “I was told that performance is the only thing that gets you noticed. That stayed with me.”

In 2019, after limited opportunities for Delhi initially, Dahiya scored two consecutive centuries against Uttar Pradesh, reinforcing his coach’s belief.

“I’ve always been aggressive,” he said. “As a kid, my role model was Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli. Later, when I started wicket-keeping, I followed MS Dhoni. I learned to take calculated risks.”

His preparation reflects focus on all of white-ball cricket and not just T20. “I practice match situations in the nets,” he said “I don’t treat it like practice. I treat it like a match.”

Last year, he appeared for trials for Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings but wasn’t picked. This year, he followed it up with a memorable performance at the Delhi Premier League, scoring 339 runs at an average of 48.43 for South Delhi Superstarz and then attended trials of nearly every franchise.

Now, with an IPL contract secured, Dahiya is looking to stay focused.

“IPL is still some time away,” he said. “Right now, my focus is on domestic cricket – helping Delhi win at the Vijay Hazare Trophy.”