The decision to rest senior pros Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah from the one-off Test against Afghanistan, which isn’t a part of the current World Test Championship cycle, provides a few youngsters with an opportunity to make a mark. Among them, left-arm spinner all-rounder Harsh Dubey is certainly one to watch out for.
At present, the 23-year-old from Vidarbha, representing Sunrisers Hyderabad in this IPL following his debut for the side last year, has his eyes on Wednesday’s Eliminator against Rajasthan Royals in Mullanpur. But the Afghanistan Test is not far from Harsh’s mind, more so as the same venue will be hosting the one-off Test from June 6.
“I spoke to the curator here during our practice to find out how the pitch could behave and what the overall conditions could be during the Test. But its preparations will only start once the IPL gets over. Till then, I’m keeping my focus more on the playoffs so that we can finish well,” Harsh, with eight scalps from as many appearances so far in the ongoing IPL, told The Telegraph on Monday night.
Assuming he will get to play at least one of the three ODIs against the Afghans, success in the coming India matches should help in strengthening Harsh’s position. If he does well, he could be an ideal substitute for Jadeja, who’s in the twilight of his career. For Harsh, however, what makes him happier is the India call-up coming at the right stage of his career.
“It’s a great opportunity which has come at the right stage for me. It’s all because of the hard work I have put in over the last one-and-a-half years. I just want to keep putting in the effort,” he said.
Tactical matters
The presence of Muttiah Muralidaran in the Sunrisers’ coaching staff, too, has been a boon for the young spinner all-rounder. “I discuss the tactical stuff with him (Murali) and work on them, the angles and varying pace, especially when bowling on flat wickets. In the middle of the tournament, there isn’t enough time for technical matters.
“Besides, at this stage of my career, there’s a greater need for fine-tuning and working on the smaller, finer aspects,” Harsh stated.
Domestic vs IPL
Harsh acknowledged the role Ranji Trophy has played in his elevation to the IPL, an India ‘A’ call-up and a berth in the Team India squad thereafter. A record 69 wickets and 476 runs with the bat in Vidarbha’s triumphant Ranji campaign in 2024-25 had first brought him to the limelight, before the Sunrisers roped him late in IPL 2025 as a replacement for the injured Ravichandran Smaran.
Thereafter, he toured with the ‘A’ team for two multi-day games against England Lions and then at home in November, he featured in a couple of red-ball matches against South Africa A before his selection for the Asia Cup Rising Stars in Qatar.
“Of course, my performance in Ranji and other domestic tournaments helped me in gaining an IPL berth, followed by that of India ‘A’ and the Asia Cup Rising Stars last year.
“But, I don’t want to differentiate anything... My performance in the IPL (13 wickets in 11 matches so far) has had a role to play at some point. All things coordinate and co-relate with each other. This is how I look at it,” Harsh, growing in maturity, explained.