‘It genuinely felt like I was dreaming’ - Harsh Dubey recalls India call-up moment

Ahead of the one-off Test against Afghanistan, Harsh Dubey said that his selection in India's Test and ODI squads for the home series felt unreal. Dubey, who represented Sunrisers Hyderabad during IPL 2026 and claimed eight wickets in eight matches, has built an impressive first-class record. In 27 matches, he has taken 133 wickets at an average of 23.26, with best figures of 6/36, nine five-wicket hauls and two 10-wicket match hauls. He has also scored 1,027 runs in 44 innings, including nine half-centuries.

Recalling how he learned about his maiden India call-up, Dubey said he was at the airport when he received a phone call from a person who runs a cricket social media page. The news initially left him in disbelief, with the spinner admitting that it felt as though he was dreaming.

"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 (for which he was later replaced by Anukul Roy), so I said it felt like one step closer to the dream and that my focus was still on the IPL," said Dubey to JioStar.

"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," he added.

He further revealed that when he was initially named in the India A squad for the ODI tri-series in Sri Lanka in June, he did not believe he was in contention for a senior India call-up. Instead, he told himself to concentrate on performing well in the IPL and the upcoming tri-series. The all-rounder added that he was not looking too far into the future and preferred to take his career one match at a time, focusing on the opportunities immediately in front of him.

"I genuinely had no idea my name could come up, let alone in both formats. So, honestly, I have no words for it. 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," said Dubey.