IPL 2026: From bench to finishing line, Shubham Dubey makes the wait worthwhile

NEW CHANDIGARH: Shubham Dubey has spent most of his cricketing life waiting. Waiting for recognition, for opportunity, for a moment that would demand everything he has quietly built over the years. On Tuesday night, as Rajasthan Royals were drifting towards defeat against an unbeaten Punjab Kings side here, that moment finally arrived. Dubey seized it with both hands.Walking in as an ‘impact substitute’ at No. 6, ahead of established names like Ravindra Jadeja and Dasun Shanaka, the 31-year-old Dubey was handed a situation that could easily have swallowed him.Rajasthan Royals still needed 72 off 36 balls, the chase slipping and the pressure mounting. But Dubey didn’t just hold his nerve. He flipped the game on its head.Dubey finished unbeaten on 31 off just 12 balls, striking at 258.33, and added 77 in just 32 balls with Donovan Ferreira to script a six-wicket win. What had looked like a faltering chase turned into a statement win, ending Punjab’s unbeaten run. Born in Yavatmal in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region, Dubey’s beginnings were modest. A decade ago, he didn’t have the means to afford basic cricket gear. His father, Badriprasad Dubey, ran a paan stall in Nagpur and the family scraped through with limited means.The breakthrough came through the faith of his mentor, the late Sudeep Jaiswal, who backed him when few others did. Jaiswal bought him his first proper cricket kit — a new bat, gloves and other essentials that would allow Dubey to compete on equal footing. More importantly, he helped him find a pathway into the Vidarbha team.From there, Dubey carved his reputation in the less-celebrated corners of Indian cricket. Tournaments like the Bapuna Cup in Vidarbha became his proving ground, where he developed into a powerhitter capable of shifting momentum in a matter of overs. The wider recognition came during the 2023-24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Dubey piled up 221 runs at an average of 73.66, striking at 187.28. These were numbers too compelling to ignore for the IPL scouts.Rajasthan Royals responded by investing Rs 5.8 crore in him ahead of IPL-2024. But the transition wasn’t seamless. He managed just 33 runs in four games, though his strike-rate of 173.68 hinted at his intent. RR released him but bought him back, this time for Rs 80 lakh.“Dubey, coming in as an impact player, it’s one of the hardest things to do, because you don’t know if you’re playing or not. So mentally, he was exceptionally skilful. The way he was able to keep his focus and go in the middle and bring the game in our favour was outstanding,” said Kumar Sangakkara, Rajasthan’s head coach and director of cricket.Sangakkara pointed out that Rajasthan Royals’ strength lies in the depth of their batting, with Dubey firmly part of that core. “The focus is a lot on Vaibhav (Sooryavanshi). But at the same time, when I look at my side and I run through my batters, there’s Dhruv (Jurel), Yash (Yashasvi Jaiswal), Riyan (Parag), Donovan Ferreira and now someone like Dubey,” Sangakkara said.