Two cricketers from Vidarbha — left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey and seasoned batter Karun Nair — have been selected in the India A squad for the upcoming tour of England. The BCCI announced the squad on Friday evening.
Both Dubey and Nair were key players in Vidarbha’s Ranji Trophy triumph this season. Dubey, who was named Man of the Tournament, impressed with 476 runs and 69 wickets, while Nair amassed 863 runs in nine matches at an average of 53.93.
Two major breakthroughs in just 11 days — Harsh Dubey couldn’t have asked for a better month. On May 5, he was picked as a replacement player by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, and now on May 16, he has received a call-up to the India A squad for the England tour.
The tour includes two First-Class matches against the England Lions — at Canterbury on May 30 and Northampton on June 6. It will conclude with a game against the Indian senior team on June 13.
Karun Nair, who last played for India in 2017, made a strong case for a return with his remarkable comeback this Ranji season. His experience and performances were pivotal in Vidarbha lifting their third Ranji title earlier this year.
For Dubey, the past few months have been promising. Speaking about the selection, he said he is “inching closer to fulfilling his ultimate dream of playing for India.”
The Vidarbha spinner had a standout domestic season, not just in the Ranji Trophy, but also in the Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali tournaments. His consistency caught the selectors’ attention.
Speaking from Lucknow, where he joined the SRH squad for their IPL match against Lucknow Super Giants, Dubey said, “I had got a hint of getting selected for the England tour. But at present I am concentrating on the upcoming match against LSG. That is my first priority. Yes, it is great news for me and for the entire Vidarbha and this opportunity will help me gain experience.”
“My ultimate dream is to play for the senior Indian team and I am inching closer to fulfilling that dream,” said Dubey.
Tears of Joy in Parents’ Eyes
Harsh Dubey’s parents, Surendra and Jyoti, were overwhelmed with joy when they heard the news. Surendra shared, “We were eagerly waiting for this day. Harsh has been waiting patiently. He never got dejected despite his fine performance in the last couple of years. He used to say ‘there might be something which I am not doing to achieve my dream.’ But he kept calm and tried to iron out flaws in his performance,” he told The Hitavada with a choked voice.
“He is a mature kid. He always says that ‘if I am capable I would be selected. Selection is not in his hands and he only wanted to better his performance’,” added Surendra.
Harsh’s mother Jyoti, equally emotional, said, “Bahut khushi ho rahi hai. Do-do khushkhabar kuch hi dino mey…. I can’t hold my tears back, it is such big news. Harsh has worked really hard for this day and today his hard work has paid,” adding, “have to go to a sweet shop to buy sweets for well-wishers.”
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