Ranji Trophy: Harsh Dubey's 9-53 sets Vidarbha record, bowls out MP for 209
Synopsis
Harsh Dubey became the first Vidarbha bowler in Ranji Trophy history to claim nine wickets in an innings, finishing with 9-53 to bowl Madhya Pradesh out for 209 at Jamtha. The feat surpasses a record that had stood since 1967-68, and caps a remarkable breakout year for the left-arm spinner who made his India ODI debut in June and has now taken 23 wickets in seven Ranji innings this season.
Key Takeaways
Harsh Dubey took 9 for 53 to bowl Madhya Pradesh out for 209 at the VCA Stadium, Jamtha on 2 November 2026 .
He is the first Vidarbha bowler to claim a nine-wicket haul in a Ranji Trophy innings, surpassing Arun Ogiral's 8-39 from 1967-68 .
Dubey is now the 30th bowler overall to take nine or more wickets in a Ranji Trophy innings.
He has claimed 23 wickets in seven innings in the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season.
Dubey made his ODI debut against Afghanistan in June 2026 , taking four wickets in two matches .
Karnataka's Ritesh Bhatkal (5-35) and Shikhar Shetty (5-53) shared all 10 wickets as Assam were dismissed for 135 in Guwahati.
Left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey etched his name into Vidarbha cricket history on Monday, 2 November 2026, claiming a stunning 9 for 53 to bowl out Madhya Pradesh for 209 on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy match at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha. Dubey became the first Vidarbha bowler to claim a nine-wicket haul in a Ranji Trophy innings, and the 30th bowler overall in the tournament's history to achieve the feat.
A Record That Stood Since 1967-68
The previous best figures for Vidarbha belonged to Arun Ogiral, who took 8 for 39 in the 1967-68 season — ironically also against Madhya Pradesh. Dubey's haul surpasses that six-decade-old benchmark and draws comparison with the last nine-wicket haul in the Ranji Trophy: Siddharth Desai of Gujarat, who claimed 9 for 36 against Uttarakhand in 2024-25. That Desai, too, was a left-arm spinner underscores the match-winning value of the craft on Indian pitches.
How the Innings Unfolded
Vidarbha all-rounder Nachiket Bhute drew first blood by removing opener Yash Dubey, but from the 17th over onwards, the day belonged entirely to Harsh. He chipped through the middle order relentlessly, reducing Madhya Pradesh to 64 for 5 in the 29th over.
A 72-run sixth-wicket stand between Atharva Mahajan and Saransh Jain, lasting nearly 18 overs, briefly checked the collapse. Dubey returned to break the partnership, and the lower order offered little resistance thereafter. His final figures of 9 for 53 were as comprehensive as they were historic.
A Breakthrough Year for Dubey
Monday's performance is the latest chapter in a breakout year for the spinner. Dubey made his ODI debut against Afghanistan in June, picking up four wickets in two matches. He then toured Sri Lanka with India A, taking three wickets and scoring 59 runs across two innings. In the Duleep Trophy for Central Zone against East Zone, he returned eight wickets along with scores of 27 and 24.
Carrying that form into the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy, Dubey has now claimed 23 wickets in seven innings in the current season — a rate that will keep national selectors watching closely.
Other Round-Up Results
Elsewhere on an eventful opening day across venues, Karnataka's Ritesh Bhatkal (5 for 35) and Shikhar Shetty (5 for 53) shared all 10 wickets to bowl Assam out for 135 inside 49 overs in Guwahati. Rohan Patil then blazed 89 off 87 balls, sharing a 129-run opening stand with the unbeaten Mayank Agarwal (57), as Karnataka seized a 45-run lead.
In Dharamsala, 20 wickets fell in a day. Rajasthan were shot out for 78, with Abhishek Kumar claiming five wickets for Himachal Pradesh, who then made 153 despite a five-wicket reply from Sahil Dhiwan, giving Himachal a 75-run first-innings lead. Mayank Mishra took 6 for 57 as Uttarakhand dismissed Haryana for 153 after they elected to bat.
In Chandigarh, Pradosh Ranjan Paul struck an unbeaten 138 to steer Tamil Nadu to 320 for 4, with N Jagadeesan (52) and Baba Indrajith (51) adding fifties. Punjab's Salil Arora (111 not out) and Sanvir Singh (100 not out) put on an unbroken 205-run sixth-wicket stand to take their side from a precarious 71 for 5 to 276 for 5 against Andhra.
In Ahmedabad, Aarya Desai fell five short of a century as Gujarat crossed 300 against Kerala; Urvil Patel (63 not out) and Vishal Jayswal (50 not out) added an unbeaten 111 after Gujarat slipped to 182 for 4. Opener Dhruv Patel's 124 lifted Baroda to 269 for 6 in Kanpur. Services captain Rajat Paliwal anchored his side to 266 with an unbeaten 111, coming in at 27 for 3 against Delhi at Palam.
Snehal Kauthankar rescued Goa from 54 for 4 with an unbeaten 116 as they ended day one at 288 for 6 against Bihar. At the CCI in Mumbai, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (78) and Sarfaraz Khan (55) struck half-centuries and captain Siddesh Lad (47) guided Mumbai to 247 for 6 after being put in by Railways. Sridam Paul's 86 led Tripura's recovery from 28 for 5 to 219 for 7 against Saurashtra at the MBB Stadium, while Abishek Porel's 54 helped Bengal to 143 against Maharashtra, who reached 21 for 2 in reply.
With Dubey's form peaking at precisely the right moment in the domestic calendar, his name is certain to feature prominently in national selection discussions heading into the next international cycle.
Point of View
A nine-for against a competitive Madhya Pradesh side is the kind of performance that cannot be quietly filed away. Notably, the previous Vidarbha record also came against MP, suggesting the matchup has historically provided turn and carry that rewards craft over pace. With 23 Ranji wickets already this season on top of international exposure against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka A, Dubey is making the case that India's spin complement — so often debated during overseas tours — may need to take a fresh look at the country's domestic left-arm options.
NationPress
2 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What record did Harsh Dubey set in the Ranji Trophy 2026-27?
Harsh Dubey became the first bowler from Vidarbha to claim a nine-wicket haul in a Ranji Trophy innings, finishing with figures of 9 for 53 against Madhya Pradesh on 2 November 2026. He is also the 30th bowler overall in Ranji Trophy history to take nine or more wickets in an innings.
What was the previous Vidarbha bowling record in the Ranji Trophy?
The previous best figures for Vidarbha were 8 for 39 by Arun Ogiral in the 1967-68 season, which also came against Madhya Pradesh. Dubey's 9-53 surpasses that six-decade-old mark.
Who took the last nine-wicket haul before Dubey in the Ranji Trophy?
Gujarat's left-arm spinner Siddharth Desai claimed 9 for 36 against Uttarakhand in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season — the most recent nine-wicket haul before Dubey's effort.
How has Harsh Dubey performed in international cricket?
Dubey made his ODI debut for India against Afghanistan in June 2026, taking four wickets in two matches. He subsequently toured Sri Lanka with India A, claiming three wickets and scoring 59 runs across two innings.
What were the other notable Ranji Trophy results on 2 November 2026?
Karnataka's Ritesh Bhatkal (5-35) and Shikhar Shetty (5-53) took all 10 wickets to bowl Assam out for 135 in Guwahati, with Karnataka securing a 45-run lead. In Dharamsala, 20 wickets fell as Himachal Pradesh took a 75-run first-innings lead over Rajasthan, who were bowled out for just 78.
