A Dream Realized for the Young All-Rounder

Harsh Dubey, the 23-year-old all-rounder representing Vidarbha and Sunrisers Hyderabad, is buzzing with excitement after receiving his first-ever call-up to the senior national team. Named in both the ODI and Test squads for the upcoming home series against Afghanistan, Dubey views this opportunity as a pivotal milestone in his career.

Playing with Legends

For Dubey, the prospect of sharing a dressing room with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma is the highlight of his selection. Having grown up watching the duo dominate world cricket, the youngster considers it a massive achievement to enter the setup while they are still active.

"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... getting a chance to play with them is a huge achievement for me," Dubey shared on Jiostar.

He further emphasized his desire to learn from the veterans, stating, "I always wanted to play alongside at least one legend before they retire or whenever their final phase comes. Even if I get to play one match with them, it will be a dream-come-true moment for me."

A Bizarre Discovery

The way Dubey learned about his selection was far from conventional. While stuck at the Chennai airport due to a flight delay with his SRH teammates, he received a phone call from a sports social media manager asking about his feelings regarding the ODI squad selection.

Due to the noise and poor network in the lounge, Dubey initially misinterpreted the question, thinking the caller was referring to the Sri Lanka A ODI tri-series. He responded by saying it felt like "one step closer to the dream" but noted his focus remained on the IPL.

It was only after the call ended that a flood of messages alerted him to the actual news. "I was confused because the squad had just been announced, so I quickly checked online and saw the news. It honestly took me a few minutes to process what had happened," Dubey recalled. He admitted he was so overwhelmed that when asked by his coach, Murali, about other spinners in the squad, he replied that he had only seen his own name.