Guided by Ravichandran Ashwin, Domestic Spinner Eclipses All-time Ranji Trophy 2025 Record during Final

Harsh Dubey Sets New Record for Most Wickets in a Ranji Trophy Season

• Record-Breaking Feat:
  Vidarbha spinner Harsh Dubey created history on February 28 by becoming the bowler with the most wickets in a Ranji Trophy season. He achieved this milestone during the ongoing final against Kerala by dismissing Nidheesh MD, marking his 69th wicket of the season.
• Previous Record Held by Ashutosh Aman:
  Dubey surpassed the previous record of 68 wickets set by Bihar’s Ashutosh Aman during the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy season.
• Dubey’s Impressive Performance in the Final:
  Dubey had already made a mark in the semi-final, taking seven wickets against Mumbai, including a five-wicket haul in the second innings. In the final against Kerala, he removed Aditya Sarvate for 79 runs and followed it up with the dismissal of Salman Nizar for 21 runs.
• Top Bowlers with 60+ Wickets in Ranji Trophy:
  Apart from Dubey, only five bowlers have taken 60 or more wickets in a Ranji Trophy season:
  • Ashutosh Aman (68)
  • Jaydev Unadkat (67)
  • Bishan Singh Bedi (64)
  • Kanwaljit Singh (62)
  • Dodda Ganesh (62)
• All-Round Contributions:
  In addition to his bowling, Dubey has contributed with the bat, amassing 472 runs from 17 innings, including five half-centuries.

Who is Harsh Dubey?

• Early Life and Cricket Background:
  Harsh Dubey was born on July 23, 2002, in Pune. He is a bowling all-rounder who made a significant impact playing in the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association’s (TNCA) First Division league.
• Mentorship Under Ravichandran Ashwin:
  Dubey credited former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin for nurturing him during his early days in cricket. He played under Ashwin at the Mylapore Recreational Club in the TNCA First Division league, where he starred by scoring a century and taking four wickets in the final to guide his team to victory.
• Experience in Chennai Conditions:
  Reflecting on his time in Chennai, Dubey mentioned, “The wickets there either turn or are slow and flat, so I learned a lot about how to use pace and field positions.” He emphasized the importance of contributing to the team’s success in such conditions, a habit he developed playing in Chennai.
• Ranji Trophy Debut:
  Dubey made his first-class debut in December 2022 for Vidarbha against Jammu Kashmir. While he failed to take any wickets, he scored a half-century in Vidarbha’s first innings. Despite his contribution, Jammu and Kashmir won by 39 runs.

Another Milestone for Dubey

• Elite All-Rounder Group:
  At just 22 years old, Dubey is the fourth all-rounder to score more than 450 runs and take over 50 wickets in a single Ranji Trophy season. The other three all-rounders to have achieved this feat are:
  • Sunil Joshi (Karnataka)
  • Gurinder Singh (Meghalaya)
  • R Sanjay Yadav (Meghalaya)

Vidarbha’s Strong Position in the Final

• Vidarbha’s First Innings:
  Vidarbha, after winning the toss, batted first and scored 379 runs. Danish Malewar made a stellar 153, and Karun Nair contributed 86 runs.
• Kerala’s Response:
  At the end of Day 3, Kerala were bowled out for 342 runs in their first inning, leaving Vidarbha with a 37-run lead.