New Delhi, June 3 (IANS) After earning his maiden India call-up for the upcoming ODI series against Afghanistan, left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Harsh Dubey expressed that the opportunity to potentially share the field and dressing room with veterans of the game, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, is a dream he has carried throughout his cricketing journey.

Dubey, who was one of the stars of Vidarbha’s triumphant 2024-25 Ranji Trophy campaign and

captained Vidarbha to their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy title in 2025, is the one of three uncapped players selected in India’s ODI squad alongside pacers Prince Yadav and Gurnoor Brar.

“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. Ever since I started understanding cricket, they have been performing for India and dominating world cricket. So, getting a chance to play with them is a huge achievement for me.

“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,” Dubey told JioStar.

India’s ODI squad for the Afghanistan series includes both Kohli and Rohit, although the latter’s participation remains subject to fitness clearance following a hamstring injury suffered during IPL 2026.

Dubey’s call-up comes as India continue their preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup, with the selectors rewarding the youngster after his impressive performances. He had also recently been named in India’s Test squad for the one-off game in New Chandigarh.

The youngster revealed that despite being selected for the Sri Lanka A ODI tri-series, he never imagined an India call-up would arrive so soon, let alone in both formats.

“To be honest, as soon as my name came up for Sri Lanka A ODI tri-series, I felt I was not really in the scheme of things yet. So, I told myself to focus on the IPL for now and think about the tri-series when the time came. I genuinely had no idea my name could come up, let alone in both formats. So, honestly, I have no words for it,” he said.

Dubey then recounted the surreal moment when he first learned about his selection.

“We had reached the airport and found out our flight was delayed by an hour. I got a call from someone managing a cricket social media page, asking how I felt about my name being in the ODI series. Because of the noise and network issues in the lounge, I thought he was referring to the Sri Lanka A ODI tri-series, so I said it felt like one step closer to the dream and that my focus was still on the IPL.

“As soon as I hung up, I started getting messages saying I had received both the Test and ODI call-ups. 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. Even when Murali sir asked me who the other spinners in the squad were, I told him I had only seen my own name. It genuinely felt like I was dreaming,” Dubey stated.

While many have already begun to view him as a potential long-term option in India’s spin department, Dubey insisted he is not looking too far ahead.

“If you ask any cricketer, he will say that he wants to play for India and play for a long time. But instead of thinking too far ahead, I prefer to focus on what is in my hands, one game at a time. If I am playing an IPL game today, my focus is on what I can do better today. If I am playing for India tomorrow, I will focus on what more I can do for my team, rather than thinking about playing for the next 10 years.

“I don’t want to think too far ahead about playing the 2027 World Cup or winning the WTC for India. I just want to stay in the present and do the best I can with what is in my hands,” he expressed.

Dubey, who will also get an opportunity to work under India’s ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill during the Afghanistan series, said he is eager to understand the skipper’s leadership style up close.

“I actually want to see how Shubman Gill is as a person from close quarters because, as an opponent, you can never fully understand what someone is like or how they are as a captain. I enjoy playing under captains who are aggressive and competitive on the field. No matter how calm and composed you are off it, I believe you need that aggression on the ground, and I enjoy playing with people who bring that intensity,” he noted.

India will face Afghanistan in a one-off four-day Test in New Chandigarh, followed by a three-match ODI series in Dharamshala, Lucknow and Chennai, with Dubey now set to embark on the most significant chapter of his young career.

–IANS

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