Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has hailed Sunrisers Hyderabad left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey after the youngster’s impressive run in IPL 2026. Ashwin said he had tracked Dubey closely during his three-year stint with Rajasthan Royals and even took him on as a net bowler, hoping RR would sign him. That move never materialised, but Ashwin now believes SRH have landed a serious talent.

Dubey, who came in as an injury replacement for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2025 and was retained for this season, has quickly justified the faith shown in him. Ashwin praised not just his control with the ball, but also his growing tactical awareness, calling his current spell of bowling “pro-level” for someone so young.

“I took him to RR as a net bowler for two years. Maybe I wanted RR to pick him, but it did not happen. But I am very happy for Harsh,” Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

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Ashwin was especially impressed by the way Dubey has adapted during games and made smart changes based on match situations.

“Harsh Dubey deserves a lot of praise. He also has the ability to bat and has a good bat swing. He will just have to work a little on it. But the way he has been bowling, it is almost like a pro.”

“He goes full and uses the yorker at the right time, pulls the length, and adjusts the field. Donovan Ferreira hit a pull in this match. After that, he signaled something to Ishan and adjusted the field and his length. The next ball turned after pitching. This is pro-level bowling, and the kind of skill he has, I think, it’s only going to go up,” he added.

Dubey has made a strong start to IPL 2026, picking up five wickets in as many matches at an economy rate of 8.66. His best outing came against Lucknow Super Giants, where he claimed two wickets for just 18 runs in a losing effort.

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Sunrisers Hyderabad, meanwhile, continue to build momentum after their convincing 57-run win over Rajasthan Royals at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Monday, April 13. The result lifted them to fourth in the standings and added more confidence to a side finding its rhythm at the right time.