Harsh Dubey’s dream run in domestic cricket and the TATA IPL has earned him a maiden call-up to the Indian team for the upcoming Afghanistan series, with the left-arm spinner being named in both the Test and ODI squads.
Recalling the moment he discovered the news, Dubey said the announcement caught him completely off guard. The youngster revealed he was at the airport when he first received a call regarding his selection.
“We had reached the airport and found out our flight was delayed by an hour. I got a call from someone managing a cricket social media page, asking how I felt about my name being in the ODI series,” Dubey said.
” Because of the noise and network issues in the lounge, I thought he was referring to the Sri Lanka A ODI tri-series, so I said it felt like one step closer to the dream and that my focus was still on the IPL. As soon as I hung up, I started getting messages saying I had received both the Test and ODI call-ups. I was confused because the squad had just been announced, so I quickly checked online and saw the news,” he explained.
Describing his reaction, Dubey said it took several minutes before the reality of the achievement sank in.
“It honestly took me a few minutes to process what had happened. Even when Murali sir asked me who the other spinners in the squad were, I told him I had only seen my own name. It genuinely felt like I was dreaming,” Dubey said.
The spinner admitted he never expected to find himself in contention for the senior national side so soon and was focused solely on performing well in the IPL and upcoming India A assignments.
“To be honest, as soon as my name came up for Sri Lanka A ODI tri-series, I felt I was not really in the scheme of things yet. So, I told myself to focus on the IPL for now and think about the tri-series when the time came. I genuinely had no idea my name could come up, let alone in both formats. So, honestly, I have no words for it.”
While many see him as a potential long-term option in India’s spin department, Dubey said he prefers to focus on immediate challenges rather than future milestones.
“If you ask any cricketer, he will say that he wants to play for India and play for a long time. But instead of thinking too far ahead, I prefer to focus on what is in my hands, one game at a time.”
” If I am playing an IPL game today, my focus is on what I can do better today. If I am playing for India tomorrow, I will focus on what more I can do for my team, rather than thinking about playing for the next 10 years,” he said.
“I don’t want to think too far ahead about playing the 2027 World Cup or winning the WTC for India. I just want to stay in the present and do the best I can with what is in my hands,” Dubey said.
Dubey also expressed his excitement at the possibility of sharing the dressing room with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, two cricketers he has admired throughout his childhood.
“If you ask any young cricketer who they want to play with right now, the first two names will be Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. I have grown up watching them.”
“Ever since I started understanding cricket, they have been performing for India and dominating world cricket. So, getting a chance to play with them is a huge achievement for me. I always wanted to play alongside at least one legend before they retire or whenever their final phase comes,” he said.
“Even if I get to play one match with them, it will be a dream-come-true moment for me,” he added.
Speaking about India’s new captain Shubman Gill, Dubey said he is keen to observe his leadership style up close and values captains who bring intensity and competitiveness onto the field.
“I actually want to see how Shubman Gill is as a person from close quarters because, as an opponent, you can never fully understand what someone is like or how they are as a captain.”
” I enjoy playing under captains who are aggressive and competitive on the field. No matter how calm and composed you are off it, I believe you need that aggression on the ground, and I enjoy playing with people who bring that intensity,” he said.
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