Harsh Dubey: India's Promising Left-Arm Spinning All-Rounder for the Future

CHENNAI: Every successful Indian team has eventually unearthed an all-rounder who quietly solves multiple problems at once. In Harsh Dubey, India believe they may have found another such cricketer for the future. The 23-year-old left-arm spinning all-rounder is still at the beginning of his international journey, but the early signs have already convinced the team management that he is a player worth investing in. The confidence being shown in him was evident from captain Shubman Gill's words, who sees Dubey as an important addition to India's pool of all-rounders. "If we look at the pool of all-rounders, especially left-arm spinning all-rounders who can bat, he is one of those players. He is very young and it's important that we show confidence in players like him. He is someone who can bowl 10 overs for us and, if required, can also get the job done with the bat in situations where you need 80 runs in the last 10 overs," Gill said.

Those comments came before India's squad for the England ODI series was announced. However, despite Gill's endorsement and a promising start at the international level, Dubey did not find a place in the squad as Axar Patel returned to the side after being rested for the Afghanistan series. Yet, his omission is unlikely to alter the long-term plans India appear to have for him. With Ravichandran Ashwin having retired and India managing the workload of Ravindra Jadeja and Axar, the team management has already started grooming the next generation of spin-bowling all-rounders.

The selectors had named Dubey in both the Test and ODI squads against Afghanistan, signalling a long-term investment rather than a short-term experiment. That faith was further underlined in the first ODI when Dubey was preferred over the more experienced Kuldeep Yadav. In his debut, the youngster came under pressure in his opening over, but he responded impressively, showing the temperament and finished with figures of 3-47 from five overs and ended his two-match ODI stint with four wickets. While his economy rate of 7.08 remained on the higher side, he managed to strike at crucial moments and showed an ability to bounce back under pressure.

While his bowling credentials are already well established, his batting potential is an untapped area in the series. India believe there is more to come from him with the bat, particularly because he possesses the ability to finish innings and contribute valuable lower-order runs. His numbers across formats further strengthen his case. In the IPL, he has taken eight wickets in eight matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad at an average of 28.50. In List A cricket, he has picked up 35 wickets in 32 matches and scored 296 runs in 17 innings, including two half-centuries, averaging 26.50 with the bat. His first-class record is even more impressive. In 27 matches, Dubey has claimed 133 wickets at an average of 23.26, including nine five-wicket hauls and two 10-wicket match hauls.