Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) is facing a tough situation in IPL 2025, with their playoff dreams hanging by a thread. The team has been plagued by injuries, and after losing leg-spinner Adam Zampa to injury for the season, they also faced another setback when Smran Ravichandran, his replacement, was ruled out due to injury. In such trying times, SRH has turned to an unexpected player to salvage their campaign—Harsh Dubey.

Harsh Dubey’s Surprising IPL Opportunity

Harsh Dubey, a 22-year-old all-rounder from Vidarbha, has been given a chance by SRH for the remaining matches of IPL 2025 at a price of Rs 30 lakh. This player, who became a cricketer almost by accident, is now considered the team’s last hope to turn around their season.

A Historic Performance in Ranji Trophy

Harsh Dubey made history in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season by breaking the record for the most wickets in a single season, claiming a remarkable 69 wickets. This performance not only earned him the Player of the Tournament award but also etched his name into the history books, surpassing the previous record held by Ashutosh Aman of Bihar, who took 68 wickets in the 2018-19 season.

An Unlikely Cricket Journey

Interestingly, Harsh Dubey never intended to pursue cricket. In an interview with Indian Express, he revealed that his entry into cricket was purely accidental. While on his way to buy school books, he got lost and ended up in a sports shop, where he ended up buying a cricket kit. From that moment on, he began playing cricket and is now making waves in the sport.

A Late IPL Entry After Domestic Success

Despite his impressive domestic record, Harsh Dubey went unsold during the IPL 2025 mega auction, even though he had set his base price at Rs 20 lakh. However, after his record-breaking performance in the Ranji Trophy, IPL franchises took notice, and SRH decided to include him in their squad.

In his short career, Harsh has already made a mark in domestic cricket, taking 94 wickets in 18 first-class matches and scoring 709 runs. His impressive all-round performance includes eight instances of taking 5 wickets in an innings, along with seven half-centuries.

SRH’s Final Gamble for IPL Glory

Now, with SRH’s playoff hopes on the line, Harsh Dubey’s unexpected entry into the IPL could be the spark they need. As the team’s last hope, all eyes are now on the young all-rounder to see if he can replicate his Ranji brilliance on the IPL stage.