Nagpur, Feb 28 Vidarbha’s left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey etched his name in the Ranji Trophy record books, setting the record for most wickets taken during a single season, picking up 3-88 on the third day of the final against Kerala at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium here on Friday.
Bowling in Kerala's first innings after Vidarbha posted 379 on being asked to bat first, Dubey achieved the milestone with his third wicket of the innings, dismissing M.D. Nidheesh after Tea on Day Three. Earlier, the young left-arm spinner had sent back Kerala's top scorer, Aditya Sarwate, for 79 before trapping Salman Nizar—Kerala’s leading run-getter this season—LBW just before lunch.
With his haul of 3-88, Dubey surpassed Bihar’s Ashutosh Aman, who had claimed 68 wickets in the 2018-19 season, and Saurashtra’s Jaydev Unadkat, who took 67 wickets in the 2019-20 campaign. Dubey has now taken 69 wickets this season.
Dubey’s consistent performance throughout the 2024-25 season have been instrumental in Vidarbha’s success, with his defining moment coming in the semifinal against Mumbai. His seven-wicket haul in the second innings helped Vidarbha seal a memorable victory and book their place in the final.
Dubey played a pivotal role in Vidarbha's semifinal triumph over Mumbai, registering his seventh five-wicket haul of the season — the joint-most in a single edition among Elite group bowlers.
The 22-year-old, who made his First-Class debut in 2022, is now among an elite group of only six bowlers to surpass 60 wickets in a season, trailing Aman (68), Jaydev Unadkat (67), Bishan Singh Bedi (64), Kanwaljit Singh (62), and Dodda Ganesh (62).
In addition to his impressive wicket tally, the left-arm spinner has also made significant contributions with the bat, amassing 472 runs in 17 innings, including five half-centuries. Dubey joins an exclusive club as only the fourth player in Ranji Trophy history to achieve the all-rounder’s double of 450-plus runs and 50-plus wickets in a single season.
Dubey’s stellar run in the tournament has been a key factor in Vidarbha’s dominance, with his ability to extract turn and bounce troubling even the most seasoned batters. His performances have placed him in an elite group of bowlers who have left an indelible mark on Indian domestic cricket.
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