TimesofIndia.com in Lucknow: Surendra Dubey and Jyoti Dubey took about 24 hours to travel from Nagpur to Lucknow. A delayed train added to the journey, but nothing could dampen the spirits of the proud parents, who had missed seeing their son. Harsh Dubey debut in India in Dharamsala as he could not secure a flight ticket at short notice. Determined not to miss his second international exposure, he left no chance and booked tatkal tickets for the Lucknow ODI.“The train was delayed, but it was worth it. We missed his debut match, as we got the news of his debut only at 7 pm (one day before the first ODI). We tried our best but no flight was available. So for the Lucknow ODI, we didn’t take the risk and booked Tatkal tickets,” said Surendra Dubey, former security officer for CISF CISF. TimesofIndia.com.Harsh Dubey’s journey to the Indian team has been an interesting one since his parents started the train journey in Lucknow. He’s added several stops along the way, each one adding a new dimension to his game and helping him sharpen his skill set.It all started with an accidental twist. At the age of 11, Harsh Dubey had gone to buy books with his father when he took a wrong turn and found himself outside Nagpur’s Ruby Cricket Club. A young Harsh aspired to be a batsman, and Sanjog Banker, a former Vidarbha Ranji Trophy player, saw something special in him. Believing in the young man’s potential, he assured Surendra Dubey that the boy had a bright future.“Quite a chubby kid (he was a chubby kid) but very curious. From that age, he used to ask a lot of questions. I was an active cricketer even then, and his questions were so appropriate that I had to get ready before every session. He coached me and I can proudly say that he is my first student,” Bunker proudly tells the website about his ward.“In his interviews, he always says that batting is his first love. It is true. He is an accidental bowler, or should I just say he is too gifted to become a great bowler too,” says Bunker.Dubey took 69 wickets in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season. This was the highest by any bowler in the history of the competition. The astute customer also scored 476 runs with the bat and bagged the player of the tournament award.“His fundamentals with both bat and ball are solid. With the ball, he always bowled in one spot. It was his batting where he was adventurous. I remember when I got fed up with him trying to get every bowler out of the park. I got so frustrated that I tied a rope around his leg and challenged him by putting a big stone at one end. That’s how he improved his footwork,” laughs Bunker.Between batting, bowling and fielding, Surendra Dubey and Swetha Dubey balanced their work. Once he started performing well and was selected for the Vijay Merchant Trophy (U-16), the parents made a bold call. Mr. Dubey took the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) and Mrs. Dubey quit her teaching job to focus on Harsh.At the age of 19, Harsh moved to the Nagpur Cricket Academy, affiliated to the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA), and coach Madhav Bakre immediately realized he had a gem on his hands.“We had heard of Harsh. His exploits in junior cricket were well known,” shares Bakre.But despite performing well in the Winu Monkid Trophy, he was left out of the 2020 U-19 World Cup squad, forcing Harsh to do a self-examination.“He asked us what he lacked. As a coach, I knew there was nothing wrong with his talent. It was his fitness. I bluntly told him to work on his fitness,” recalls Bakre.“From the next day, he was a changed man. After every win, we celebrated with samosas and jalebis at our academy, and he stopped eating them. Since that conversation, I don’t think he’s eaten sugar. And now he is reaping the rewards,” added Bakre.In the 2022–23 season, Dubey made his Ranji Trophy debut. He took 18 wickets in six matches. The following year, he took 19 wickets in as many matches.Ahead of the 2024-25 season, Prashanth Vaidya, former India fast bowler and director of VCA’s cricket academy, approached Ramji Srinivasan, former head strength and conditioning (S&C) coach. Indian national cricket teamand asked if he could send four of his best players to Chennai to work with him.“Prashanth sent four kids. Harsh was one of them. The rest were Praful Hinge, Akshay Wadkar and a boy. They spent three weeks with me in Chennai. It was an S&C session. I shouldn’t take any credit or blow my own horn, but these new forms of exercise did wonders for Harsh,” he says.“Be it an off-spinner, a left-arm spinner, a leg-spinner or a Chinaman, everyone has a specific exercise chart. With Hirsch, we worked out how he can use the crease more so that he can bowl 25 overs a day with the red ball. Sometimes in the Ranji Trophy, the left-arm spinner bowls 35-40 overs. Their bodies need to adapt so they can recover quickly. We work on that aspect,” he adds.“It was snowing in Chennai,” laughs Ramji. “Joking aside, it was hot and humid, and the boy showed great discipline in those three weeks. Now he is reaping the rewards. He understands the importance of fitness and that is why he is playing for India now.”India’s bowling coach on second ODI Sairaj Bahutole. praised the youngster and tipped him to become a top all-rounder for India.“Hirsh definitely has a bright future as an all-rounder. He has done a great job for Vidarbha, and I think that is why he has been given this opportunity,” said Bahotole.“With every game, you learn. Even in the last game, he was under pressure after that first over, but the way he came back was impressive. Shubman also used it very well, making the right changes at the right time and getting him to do what suited him.“He is the player of the future. He has skill and good temperament, and he has proved that not only in domestic cricket. The more he plays and the more experience he gets, the more he will improve.”On his debut on a flat track in Dharamsala, Dubey took three wickets for 47 runs and showed glimpses of his potential. Now, in Lucknow, he will have a chance to perform better with his parents watching from the stands. The secret to Harsh Dubey’s success is that he has had many stops on his journey, but each one has only enhanced his skills and prepared him to become the Indian cricketer he dreamed of while buying textbooks for the fifth grade.
