Harsh Dubey Credits Vidarbha’s Success to Discipline and Team Unity

Vidarbha’s left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey, the record-breaking star of last season’s Ranji Trophy, believes the team’s continued success in red-ball cricket is rooted in discipline, unity, and a well-structured domestic system.

Speaking at the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai, Dubey emphasised that while Vidarbha may not boast the most high-profile names, the team's discipline and bonding set them apart from other domestic sides in India.

“I will not say Vidarbha are the strongest, because more than strength, we have the most disciplined cricketers in India,” Dubey said. “Because of our structure and team bonding, we defeat the strongest teams. This is my observation.”

A Historic Season

Dubey made headlines last season with 69 wickets — the most by any bowler in a single Ranji Trophy campaign. His performances have been central to Vidarbha's rise in domestic cricket over the past few years.

The team has been in red-hot form across formats. After reaching the Ranji Trophy final in 2023–24, they clinched the title in 2024–25 and started the new 2025–26 season by lifting the Irani Cup, their third overall. Vidarbha had earlier won back-to-back Ranji titles in 2017–18 and 2018–19.

A Winning Culture Built From the Ground Up

Dubey credited the team’s success to the foundations laid during age-group cricket and off-season training at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA).

“The current lot has won at least 2–3 trophies in age-group cricket, so we have that winning habit,” he said. “The structure of our off-season camps at the VCA has strengthened our basics.”

He also praised long-time coach Usman Ghani, who has coached many Vidarbha players since their U-14 and U-19 days.

“He understands each player very well – who can be useful and when. Our trainers, physios, and the entire backroom staff have played a crucial role. We’re now seeing the results of their hard work over the last 7–8 years.”

India Call-Ups Still Limited

Despite Vidarbha’s domestic dominance, few players have broken into the Indian national team. Umesh Yadav remains the biggest name to emerge from the region in the past two decades. Karun Nair, who briefly represented India again during the England tour, has now returned to Karnataka, while Jitesh Sharma has made strides in T20Is.

Dubey, however, sees the limited India selections as motivation rather than discouragement.

“It’s a matter of mindset,” he said. “If you look at it positively, it tells you that just this much is not enough – you need to do more. It drives you to improve.”

He added that several players — including Yash Rathod, Danish Malewar, and skipper Akshay Wadkar — are performing consistently and could be future contenders for India selection.

No Void Despite Departures

With Nair's exit, Vidarbha have signed former Karnataka batter R Samarth, who moved from Uttarakhand ahead of the new season. However, Dubey dismissed concerns about a void in the middle order.

“I read somewhere, ‘If Karun Nair isn’t there, how will Vidarbha win the Irani Trophy?’ We won it — without Karun, and even Samarth didn’t play.”

He believes the squad’s depth is strong enough to overcome the absence of marquee players.

“Even if we don’t have professionals, we can still do well. But yes, professionals bring experience and you learn a lot from them. Still, no one is irreplaceable.”

Tough Road Ahead

Vidarbha kicked off their Ranji Trophy title defence against Nagaland in Bengaluru on Wednesday. They find themselves in a competitive Elite Group A, alongside teams like Jharkhand, Andhra, Baroda, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha.

With a blend of talent, structure, and resilience, Vidarbha are once again poised to be one of the teams to beat this domestic season.