You could feel it at Eden Gardens on May 20 as Dubey went to work. He put KKR in front of MI with a couple of key wickets that made for a very eventful evening. In a match where they had to have something, he provided the jolt.
Take out the two batters you don’t want to see get set and you change the whole dynamic of the game. That’s what happened here against Hardik Pandya’s side. The TV presenters were quick to point out how well KKR had their heads in the game, with Mumbai already four down before the powerplay was up.
Rohit was first to go on the fifth ball of the fourth over. He went for a big shot and put it straight to Cameron Green, who made no mistake of the catch. Then, in the sixth over, Dubey had one for Suryakumar on the third delivery. You could say that second one meant more than the scorecard shows; it nipped any comeback in the bud.
Both of them, the top run-scorers for Mumbai this year, were done in. Rohit made 15 off 13 with a pair of sixes, while SKY did the same in just 6 balls, including a couple of boundaries. But when you lose them like that, the momentum is all with Kolkata.
From bench to spearhead
It’s a bit of a coming-out party for a bowler who hasn’t been on the radar until now. Before last night, he had only one wicket in two IPL games for KKR. His first came on May 16 from Jos Buttler in the home game with the Titans, with Ramandeep Singh to his left to take the put-down.
A quick look at his numbers so far
His path to here has been a short one. Brought in to cover for an injured Akash Deep, he made his debut on May 13 with RCB, but didn’t get a wicket in 2.1 overs. A 28-year-old from Vidarbha with 8 List A and 3 T20s to his name, you wouldn’t expect this kind of poise in the powerplay.
Here are the key details from Dubey’s rise this week:
– Two wickets tonight in the powerplay
– Rohit out on the fifth ball of the fourth over
– Suryakumar bowled on the third ball of the sixth over
– Rohit: 15 off 13, two sixes
– Surya: 15 off 6, two fours, one six
– Debut: May 13, 2026, 2.1 overs, 21 runs
– Maiden IPL wicket: May 16, Jos Buttler
– Age: 28; left-arm fast; Vidarbha player
Why this spell matters for Kolkata
KKR had to have those early wickets or be out of the running. Dubey gave them to, and not from just anyone. In the end, the club’s faith in him as a new-ball option was well placed. They put him in charge of the pace attack and he showed the right mix of precision and guts.
What comes next
Going forward, if they are to make it, this is the way to do it. Keep the lengths, set the fields, and get through with them. For the moment, though, Dubey has given KKR the upper hand and a plan for the rest of the tournament.
As for the man himself, putting away Rohit and SKY is now the story of his T20 career so far. It’s a sign of things to come for an uncapped left-armer who has finally put in a performance when it counted.
