NEW DELHI: For Vidarbha pacer Saurabh Dubey, the wait has finally been worth it. Dubey, the left-arm fast bowler with a height of six feet and five inches, arrived at the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) camp as a net bowler when the three-time champions began their preparations for the ten-team competition.
Cut to now, he now finds himself in the main squad as a replacement for injured India pacer Akash Deep, who has been ruled out of IPL 2026 with a stress reaction in his lower back. “This feeling is really good. Like, I came here as a net bowler. After that, I got to know late on Saturday that they have chosen me as a replacement for Akash Deep. I have been waiting for this chance for a long time. So, it feels really good. I will give my best and do well, ” Dubey told IANS.
The call-up caps is a remarkable turnaround for Dubey, who went unsold at last year's IPL mini-auction in Abu Dhabi and had no expectation of earning a contract when he first reported to the KKR camp in a net-bowling capacity.
“I didn't come with any expectations. I just wanted an opportunity to go somewhere and play. Like wherever I go, I wanted to get an opportunity to play and that's why I came here, as they called me for being a net bowler.