Saurabh Dubey has brightened the stage by taking the wickets of Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. This is only his third match in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and he is already showing what he can do with the white ball in hand.
Winning the toss, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane decided to field first against Mumbai Indians (MI), who have Rohit Sharma in their batting line-up. It is widely known that at this very ground, the Mumbai-born player has played many notable innings in the past.
Two important wickets for KKR and Saurabh Dubey
In such a situation, it was necessary for KKR to take the wicket of Rohit Sharma as soon as possible. Saurabh Dubey brought a smile on Ajinkya Rahane’s face by holding the scalpel of ‘Hitman’. Soon after dismissing Rohit, the 6’5″ tall pace bowler from Wardha also dismissed Suryakumar Yadav. But who is Saurabh Dubey, who has become another sensation in this season’s Indian Premier League? Let’s find out.
Who is Saurabh Dubey?
Saurabh Dubey is one of the rare talents of Vidarbha who represented India Under-23 team. There have been many cricketers from the state, but this fast bowler is the first to play for the India Under-23 team. He was selected for the national team for the one-day series against Bangladesh.
He loved cricket since childhood, but had no idea how to enter the professional world. The man, who once played only with a tennis ball, joined the Brotherhood Cricket Association of Wardha in 2016. This was the year he first got a feel for the leather ball. His parents, Rajendra Prasad, a priest, and Mangala, wanted Dubey to become an engineer, but Saurabh chose a career in the lush green fields.
Former Vidarbha bowling coach Subroto Banerjee was among the first to recognize the talent. He helped the fast bowler join the academy.
“I still remember the ball he bowled. It came out of his hand brilliantly, swung and hit the middle stump. That was it. I told Prashant (Vaidya) to bring this boy to the academy. I am happy with Saurabh’s progress. He deserves to be in the India Under-23 team. If handled correctly, he has the talent to go far,” Banerjee told The Times of India.
Saurabh used to run away from home to play nightly tennis ball cricket tournaments. His brother advised him to play Brotherhood Premier League in Wardha. This is where we saw him. His ability to bowl yorkers under pressure impressed us.”
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More to follow…