Harsh Dubey has solid defensive skills. Image Credits: BCCI
On the Zimbabwe tour, India have just two specialist spinners in their squad - Ravi Bishnoi and Harsh Dubey. They have other part-timers like Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma, but both don’t bowl enough in international cricket.
Bishnoi and Harsh are not regulars in the white-ball setup, even though both have lately been given a few chances. In that sense, they have a chance to bolster their credentials and become regulars in the national team.
Who should play between Harsh Dubey and Ravi Bishnoi?
Ravi Bishnoi wasn’t part of India’s squad initially, but an injury to Varun Chakaravarthy opened the doors for his inclusion. He didn’t have a great series against England, where his accuracy and control came under the scanner.
Bishnoi bowled a lot of loose deliveries, and no-balls further exacerbated his case. Eventually, he was dropped after an expensive spell in Manchester.
He has not developed enough since his initial days and clearly needs to work more on his variations and lengths. The leg-spinner doesn’t even start regularly in the IPL anymore.
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Hence, India should give Harsh Dubey some chances now. Dubey has been one of the most improved spinners in recent times, with solid defensive skills in his armoury.
While usually touted as a red-ball specialist, the left-arm spinner has slowly honed his white-ball skills and has become a more all-rounded bowler. His stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) helped him develop further on decks that were unforgiving for slow bowlers.
Harsh Dubey’s defensive skills
Harsh Dubey was expensive on paper in IPL 2026. He took eight wickets at 28.50 runs apiece, but conceded 10.36 runs per over across 22 overs.
However, SRH used him in tough phases throughout the season, including in the powerplay, where his superior defensive skills came to the fore. In the first six overs, Dubey bowled seven overs, where he took a solitary wicket but bowled reasonably well to RHBs.
Against RHBs, the spinner conceded only 8.44 runs per over and bowled 34.38% dot balls. His numbers look worse than they actually were due to Priyansh Arya’s onslaught in six balls that fetched him 18 runs.
He has a good stock delivery and often bowls tighter lines on the stumps or just in the corridor. Hence, playing unconventional shots is not too easy against Dubey.
Harsh Dubey was terrific in slog overs in IPL 2026
His performances in the death overs illustrate how good his defensive skills are. In the final five overs, Harsh Dubey took five wickets at an average of 8.40 and conceded only 8.40 runs per over.
He induced 50% false shots and gave only five boundaries in 30 balls. Dubey has a quicker ball that zips through the surface without much turn, giving batters less time to adjust and come under it.
Take the dismissals of Abdul Samad or Sameer Rizvi in IPL 2026. On both occasions, the batters tried to come under the pitch of the ball and whack down the ground, but the flatter trajectory meant they mistimed their shots altogether.
He’s always had these defensive skills; it’s just that IPL allowed him to work on them further. Clearly, he can bowl across phases and understands how to construct his overs after the IPL stint.
How Dubey has a chance to become a permanent in India’s white-ball squads
Currently, India’s spin stocks are at an all-time low. The likes of Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Washington Sundar have lost their zip, while Axar Patel has also been on and off with the ball.
Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja has retired from T20Is and doesn’t seem to be in ODI plans. Not many domestic players are ready for this level just yet.
That’s where Harsh Dubey can get closer to becoming a more regular spinner in the national side. The pitches in international cricket won’t be as flat as in the IPL, and Dubey will be mighty threatening with the new and old ball.
For starters, there will be some moisture early on, with the new ball holding up a bit on the surface. That’s where Harsh can fetch a few wickets, particularly against inferior spin players of Zimbabwe.
In Harare, spinners have been mighty effective in the last couple of years. They have 94 wickets at 25.77 runs apiece and an economy rate of 7.51 since 2025.
Spinners have found ample assistance in Harare in recent times
So, Dubey will definitely enjoy bowling in these conditions and can make crucial inroads. His presence will allow India to use their express pacers as an enforcer in the middle overs, since he can operate in the powerplay.
Then, there’s also some batting value. He already has a T20 fifty and can provide that batting depth in the lower order India have been looking for.
In Bishnoi, India won’t get batting depth, and they will end up with four specialist bowlers from No.8 to 11. If India want to groom a backup for Axar Patel, Dubey needs to get an extended run from here on.
The UK tour exposed the lack of quality in the spin department. Maybe Harsh Dubey can close some gap with his solid defensive skills.
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