Nagpur: Cap number 261 will forever remain one of the most cherished possessions for Harsh Dubey. KL Rahul handed the ‘Men In Blue' cap to Dubey, who achieved his childhood dream of playing for the Indian cricketing team on Saturday. The Vidarbha skipper announced his arrival on the international stage in style by snapping three wickets against Afghanistan in Dharamsala in the first ODI of the three-match series.
Dubey, 23, became the fourth cricketer from Vidarbha to represent India in ODIs. In the past, Prashant Vaidya, Umesh Yadav and Faiz Fazal played for India in the 50-over format. To ensure there are no nerves, Dubey was informed about his inclusion in the playing eleven on the eve of the match.
"Harsh called me last night and gave me the good news. The team management told Harsh in advance that he is going to play today. It's a big day for us. Harsh's years of hard work have finally paid off," said Surendra Dubey, Harsh's father.
The ODI debut and three-wicket haul was a culmination of years of grind, dedication and unrelenting focus. The journey was also marked by setbacks and the process of getting over them. Around two years ago, in 2024, Dubey wasn't included in the squad for the Duleep Trophy. Rather than getting bogged down by the snub, Dubey decided to work harder.
‘Bhai, itne mein nahi hoga (this won't be enough), we have to do more," he had confided to Vidarbha teammate Yash Rathod. The left-arm spinner and a solid batter walked the talk over the next year. Dubey created a record, took wickets more than anyone else, and forced selectors to hear his knock on the door of the national team.
In the 2025 Ranji Trophy season, Dubey snapped up 69 wickets, most by a bowler in one edition of the tournament. He also scored more than 450 runs to not only grab the player of the series award but also headlines. Later in the year, Sunrisers Hyderabad roped in Dubey as a late injury replacement. His five wickets from three games were enough to convince the IPL team to retain him for the 2026 season.
The all-rounder kept himself on the national selectors' radar with solid performances in this year's IPL. A few days earlier, Dubey was named in the Test and ODI squads for the Afghanistan series. He wasn't selected in the playing eleven for the one-off Test.
"Yeah, he was disappointed but not disheartened. Harsh believes in destiny. Harsh was confident that he too would get a chance soon," said a city coach who has seen Dubey since his childhood days.
