NEW DELHI: Harsh Dubey had a Monday to remember. Hours before being named in India’s 15-member squad for the ACC Men’s Rising Stars Asia Cup, the left-arm spinner produced a sensational nine-wicket haul to rewrite Vidarbha’s record books in the Ranji Trophy.Dubey returned remarkable figures of 9/53 to bowl Madhya Pradesh out for 209 on the opening day of their Elite Group A encounter at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha. He became the first Vidarbha bowler to claim nine wickets in a single innings in the tournament’s history and joined an exclusive list of bowlers to have achieved the feat.The 23.1-over spell also made him only the 30th bowler overall to take nine or more wickets in a Ranji Trophy innings.The previous best figures for Vidarbha belonged to Arun Ogiral, who claimed 8/39 against Madhya Pradesh in the 1967-68 season. Nearly six decades later, Dubey bettered that mark against the same opposition.
Dubey’s record-breaking spell puts MP on the mat
After Madhya Pradesh elected to bat, Nachiket Bhute provided Vidarbha with the first breakthrough by dismissing opener Yash Dubey. From there, the day belonged almost entirely to Harsh Dubey.The left-arm spinner opened his account in the 17th over and kept striking at regular intervals, reducing Madhya Pradesh to 64/5 by the 29th over. Atharva Mahajan offered resistance with a fighting 85 off 123 balls, while Saransh Jain contributed 34.The duo put together a 72-run partnership to briefly revive the innings, but Dubey returned to break the stand and dismantled the lower order. Madhya Pradesh were eventually bowled out for 209 in 66.1 overs, with Dubey claiming nine wickets and Bhute taking the other.The last nine-wicket haul in the Ranji Trophy came from Gujarat’s left-arm spinner Siddharth Desai, who registered figures of 9/36 against Uttarakhand in the 2024-25 season.Vidarbha, however, also had a difficult time with the bat, ending the day at 56/4 in 23 overs. Kumar Kartikeya claimed three wickets for Madhya Pradesh, while Avesh Khan picked up one, leaving the hosts trailing by 153 runs.
India A selection caps a remarkable year
Dubey’s record-breaking performance added another milestone to an impressive year. He made his ODI debut against Afghanistan in June, taking four wickets in two matches, before touring Sri Lanka with India A, where he claimed three wickets and scored 59 runs across two innings.He also represented Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy, taking eight wickets and contributing scores of 27 and 24 against East Zone.The 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season has been another productive one for the all-rounder, who has already claimed 23 wickets in seven innings.His latest achievement came just as the BCCI announced India’s squad for the Rising Stars Asia Cup, scheduled to be held in Doha from November 19 to 29. Led by Tilak Varma, with Rajat Patidar as vice-captain, the squad also features Abhishek Sharma and teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.Dubey’s inclusion adds another reward to a season in which he has continued to strengthen his credentials as one of India’s promising spin-bowling all-rounders.
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