Times of India. com in Lucknow: It took Surendra Dubey and Jyoti Dubey nearly 24 hours to travel from Nagpur to Lucknow. The train delay added to the journey, but nothing could dampen the spirits of the proud parents, who missed seeing their son. Cruel dobby He made his India debut in Dharamsala because they could not secure flight tickets at short notice. Determined not to miss their second international appearance, they left nothing to chance and booked Tatkal tickets for Lucknow ODI.“The train was late, but it was worth it. We missed his first match, because we got the news of his debut only at 7 pm (a day before the first ODI). We tried our best but there were no flights available. So for Lucknow ODI, we took no risk and booked tatkaal tickets,” Surendra Dubey, a former Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officer, told TimesofIndia. com. Just like the train journey his parents took in Lucknow, Harsh Dubey’s path to the Indian team has been a remarkable one. It included several stops, each adding a new dimension to his game and helping him hone his skill set.It all started with an accidental turn. When Harsh Dubey was 11 years old, Harsh Dubey accompanied his father to buy books when they took a wrong turn and found themselves outside the Ruby Cricket Club in Nagpur. Young Harsh aspired to become a batsman and former Vidarbha Ranji Trophy player Sanjog Pinkar saw something special in him. Convinced of the young man’s potential, he assured Surendra Dubey that the boy had a bright future ahead of him.
“Bilkul golu molu sa bachha (He was a fat kid), but very curious. From that age, he used to ask a lot of questions. I was also an active cricketer at that time, and his questions were so relevant that I had to prepare before every session. “He made me a coach and I can proudly say that he is my first student,” Pinkar proudly tells this website about his ward.“In his interviews, he always says batting is his first love. That’s true. He is an accidental bowler, or should I just say he is so talented that he has become an excellent bowler as well,” adds Benkar.Dubey picked up 69 wickets in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season. This was the highest number of bowlers in the history of the competition. The crafty agent also scored 476 runs with the bat, earning him the Player of the Tournament award.“His fundamentals with both bat and ball are strong. With the ball, he always used to keep bowling in one place. It was batting where he was adventurous. I remember a time when I got tired of him trying to knock every bowler out of the park. I got so frustrated that I tied a rope to his leg and put a big stone at one end, then challenged him to get out.” “That’s how he improved his feet,” Benkar laughs.Between batting, bowling and fielding, Surendra Dubey and Savita Dubey have balanced their careers. Once he started performing well and was selected for the Vijay Merchant Trophy (Under-16), the parents took a bold decision. Mr. Dubey took the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) and Mrs. Dubey quit her teaching job so that they could focus on Harsh.At the age of 19, Harsh moved to the Nagpur Cricket Academy, associated with the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA), and coach Madhav Bhakre immediately realized they had a gem on their hands.
“We had heard about Harsh. His exploits in junior cricket were well known,” says Baker.But despite performing well in the Venu Mankad Trophy, he missed out on the U-19 World Cup 2020 squad, forcing Harsh to reflect.“We asked what he lacked,” recalls Bakri. “As a coach, I knew there was nothing wrong with his talent; it was his fitness. I frankly asked him to work on his fitness.”“From the next day, he changed a lot. After every win, we would celebrate at our academy with samosas and jalebiyya, and he would stop eating them. Since that conversation, I don’t think he’s had sugar. Bakr adds: “He is now reaping the benefits.”In the 2022-23 season, Dubey made his debut in the Ranji Trophy. He took 18 wickets in six matches. The following year, he took 19 wickets in the same number of matches.
Dharamsala, June 13 (ANI): India’s Harsh Dubey during the first one-day international match against Afghanistan at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, in Dharamsala on Saturday. (Annie’s photo)
Ahead of the 2024-25 season, Prashant Vaidya, former India seamer and director of VCA’s cricket academy, approached Ramji Srinivasan, former strength and conditioning coach of VCA. India national cricket teamHe asked him if he could send four of his best players to Chennai to work with him.“Prashant sent four kids. Harsh was one of them. The others were Praful Heng, Akshay Wadkar and another boy. They spent three weeks with me in Chennai. It was an S&C session. I shouldn’t take any credit or blow my own trumpet, but these new exercise methods did wonders for Harsh,” he says.“Be it an off-spinner, a left-arm spinner, a leg-spinner or a spinner, everyone has a specialized training scheme. With Harsh, we worked on how to use the crease more so that he can bowl 25 overs a day with the red ball.” Sometimes in the Ranji Trophy, a left-arm pacer ends up bowling 35-40 overs. Their bodies need to adapt so they can recover quickly. He adds: “We are working on this aspect.”“It was snowing in Chennai,” laughs Ramji. “All jokes aside, it was hot and humid and this boy showed great discipline in those three weeks. Now he is reaping the rewards. He understood the importance of fitness and that is why he is now playing for India.”On the eve of the second ODI, the Indian bowling coach Siraj Bahutoli He showered praise on the youngster and advised him to become one of the best players in India.
Dharamsala, June 13 (ANI): India’s Harsh Dubey and his teammates celebrate the wicket of Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi during the first one-day international match at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, in Dharamsala, on Saturday. (Annie’s photo)
“Harsh definitely has a good future as an all-rounder. He has performed very well for Vidarbha, and I think that’s why we are giving him this opportunity,” Bahotuli said.“Every game, you learn. Even in the last game, he was under pressure after the first game, but the way he came back was impressive. Schoopman also used him very well, making the right changes at the right time and giving him finishes that suited him.“He is a player for the future. He has the skills and good temperament, and he has proven that not just in domestic cricket. The more he plays and the more experience he gains, the more he will enhance his skills.”
Do you think Harsh Dubey can become a major player in India?
On his debut on a flat track in Dharamsala, Dubey picked up three for 47 and showed glimpses of his potential. Now, in Lucknow, he will have the opportunity to perform even better under the supervision of his parents from the stands. The secret to Harsh Dubey’s success is that he made many stops in his journey, but each one of them strengthened his craft and prepared him to become an Indian cricketer, which is what he dreamed of while buying books for fifth grade.
