Left-arm spin bowler all-rounder Harsh Dubey has been selected for the first time in the Indian team for the one-off Test and 3-match ODI series against Afghanistan. Dubey described it as his dream coming true. He said that the first call from the Indian team is like a step towards fulfilling the dream of playing for India.

Harsh Dubey, who was a part of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2026, on reaching Nagpur after the end of his team’s journey in the season, said in an exclusive conversation with IANS that every cricketer in the country dreams of playing for the Indian team and performing well.

How were you feeling when you were selected for the Indian team? To this question, Dubey said, “For the first five minutes, I did not understand that my name had been selected. I felt that I was still dreaming. It took me some time to understand this completely.”

Dubey, who plays domestic cricket for Vidarbha, came into limelight by taking the most wickets for his team in the Ranji season 2024-25.

Dubey, who considers himself an all-rounder, said that he will not make any significant changes in his preparations even in the series against Afghanistan.

He said, “I always say that I like my batting the most. I am 100 per cent an all-rounder. There is no doubt about it. I will not do anything different in terms of preparation. I will do what I have been doing till now, nothing different. It is very important to have confidence in myself.”

Talking about learning from foreign cricketers in the IPL, Dubey said, “Playing with a lot of international players, you learn a lot. I don’t think there is any difference between a senior and a junior player in the IPL. I believe the most important thing is to give your best performance on that particular day. In the end, that is what matters the most, whether you are a senior player or a junior.”

Dubey gave credit for his journey to the Indian team to his parents, Surendra and Jyoti as well as his coaches.

Dubey said, “All the coaches have helped me reach where I am today. If I take the name of any one coach, I feel it would be unfair to other coaches.

But I will give the most importance to my parents. It is because of his sacrifice that I am at this stage in my life today. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to reach here. He sacrificed his personal life for me and always focused on my career. This is a big thing for any person. I am able to repay it. This is a big thing for me”.

For the youth who dream of playing for the Indian team, Harsh Dubey said, “I would like to say that you should work hard. Whether you are playing cricket or doing anything else, never be dishonest and give your 100 percent in everything.

I would also like to say that IPL is not everything. I would like him to focus on the red ball format as well and not remain just an IPL player.”

23-year-old Harsh Dubey took 13 wickets in 11 matches for SRH in IPL 2026. If we look at his domestic cricket statistics, this player from Vidarbha has taken 133 wickets in 27 first-class matches and has scored 1,026 runs in 44 innings with the help of 9 half-centuries. In 30 List A matches, Harsh has taken 31 wickets and scored 296 runs with the help of 2 half-centuries in 17 innings.