{"id":170587,"date":"2026-05-21T19:14:34","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T00:44:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=170587"},"modified":"2026-05-21T19:14:34","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T00:44:34","slug":"harsh-dubey-domestic-cricket-has-played-a-huge-role-behind-maiden-india-call-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=170587","title":{"rendered":"Harsh Dubey: Domestic cricket has played a huge role behind maiden India call-up"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

At the bustling Chennai airport on Tuesday afternoon, Harsh Dubey was only worried about a delayed flight to Hyderabad. An hour-long wait alongside his Sunrisers Hyderabad teammates had already stretched enough when his phone rang.<\/p>\n

The caller was a sports content creator from Nagpur, Dubey\u2019s hometown, asking for a reaction to his India selection. Except, the 23-year-old had absolutely no clue what he was talking about.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought he was asking about the India A one-day series in Sri Lanka, so I told him I was one step closer,\u201d Dubey recalled, laughing. Poor network around the boarding gate only added to the confusion. \u201cI couldn\u2019t hear him properly, so I told him I would call back later.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also read | Gurnoor Brar on Test selection \u2013 \u2018I knew selectors were closely watching\u2019<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

Before he could settle into his seat, more congratulatory messages began pouring in from journalists and cricket acquaintances. Confused, Dubey turned to fellow spin-bowling allrounder Shivang Kumar and quickly searched his name online. That was when reality struck.<\/p>\n

For the first time in his life, his name featured in India\u2019s senior national squad \u2014 both Tests and ODIs \u2014 for the forthcoming home series against Afghanistan national cricket team.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first thing I saw was my name. I didn\u2019t even see the rest of the team,\u201d Dubey said. \u201cI didn\u2019t know how to react.\u201d<\/p>\n

In no time, it turned into a celebratory moment. SRH teammates gathered around him, handshakes turned into hugs, and phone calls home became increasingly emotional. His mother, he admitted, \u201cstruggled to process the news\u201d. Even Muttiah Muralitharan, the legendary Sri Lankan spinner who works with SRH, was curious about the composition of the squad and whether Dubey would make the playing XI.<\/p>\n

Dubey\u2019s rise has been swift but hardly accidental. Since his breakthrough 2024-25 domestic season for Vidarbha \u2014 where he claimed a record 69 Ranji Trophy wickets while also scoring 476 runs \u2014 he has steadily climbed the ladder through India A cricket and the IPL.<\/p>\n

\"Harsh<\/p>\n
Harsh Dubey insists the IPL was merely an extension of the groundwork laid in domestic cricket.
\n | Photo Credit:
\n SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR\n <\/p>\n

\"lightbox-info\"\/<\/figcaption><\/div>\n

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Harsh Dubey insists the IPL was merely an extension of the groundwork laid in domestic cricket.
\n | Photo Credit:
\n SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Yet, Dubey insists the IPL was merely an extension of the groundwork laid in domestic cricket.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel if you are doing well anywhere, it doesn\u2019t go unnoticed,\u201d he said. \u201cSometimes it takes more time, sometimes less. But domestic cricket has played a huge role behind this India call-up.\u201d<\/p>\n

That sentiment perhaps carries extra weight in an era where IPL visibility often overshadows red-ball consistency, at least in public perception. Dubey\u2019s journey, however, has been built almost entirely on long-form performances before the IPL spotlight arrived. The selectors first noticed him through Ranji Trophy cricket, rewarded him with India A opportunities in England, Australia and South Africa, and only then did the IPL become a launchpad.<\/p>\n

For Vidarbha cricket too, the moment carries significance beyond individual achievement. Despite winning the Ranji Trophy thrice, the central Indian side has produced only one Test cricketer in Umesh Yadav.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen one of my childhood coaches called, he told me I could become the first Vidarbha player after Umesh bhai to get a Test cap. That\u2019s when I realised how big this is,\u201d Dubey said. \u201cI feel a lot of young players will now believe they can play for India through domestic cricket and not only through the IPL.\u201d<\/p>\n

For all the excitement, Dubey sounds determined not to romanticise the moment too much. His self-analysis remains brutally honest. He speaks more about fitness, diet and self-improvement than wickets or records.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the last couple of years, more than skill improvement, I have realised I need to maintain my fitness levels in order to be focussed and perform at the higher levels, so I have been extremely particular about fitness and nutrition aspects,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Satisfaction, he says, doesn\u2019t come easily. \u201cEven if I perform well, I move on quickly and focus on the next game,\u201d he said. \u201cThat mindset has helped me the most.\u201d<\/p>\n

Working alongside Muralitharan at SRH has naturally helped too, although Dubey prefers keeping technical conversations simple during tournaments. \u201cI don\u2019t want to complicate my bowling too much in between matches,\u201d he explained. \u201cBut whenever we get time, we discuss cricket, whether it\u2019s white-ball or red-ball.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amid the whirlwind of the last 48 hours, one thought has stayed constant in his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is just the beginning,\u201d Dubey said quietly. \u201cReal happiness will come if I keep performing for India.\u201d<\/p>\n

Published on May 21, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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At the bustling Chennai airport on Tuesday afternoon, Harsh Dubey was only worried about a delayed flight to Hyderabad. An hour-long wait alongside his Sunrisers Hyderabad teammates had already stretched enough when his phone rang. The caller was a sports content creator from Nagpur, Dubey\u2019s hometown, asking for a reaction to his India selection. Except,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":170588,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-170587","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/th22-ranji-prevGSGFFHH3D.3.jpg.jpg","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgnRh4-Inp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170587","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=170587"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170587\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/170588"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=170587"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=170587"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=170587"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}