In every IPL season there is at least one story; a player most people haven’t even mentioned much before the tournament comes around who suddenly finds himself alive in a way that makes him an impossible to ignore topic of conversation. This year, that spotlight is starting to turn towards Saurabh Dubey from Kolkata Knight Riders who is a left arm bowler.
Though the fast bowler may have come into the IPL 2026 as a no-name, but his recent stint with Mumbai Indians did a complete turnaround in the narrative regarding him. Dubey bowled aggressively and aggressively, and wrought trouble on some of the big names in Indian T20, and appeared much more experienced than a youngster just figuring things out.
The wickets weren’t the most impressive thing for fans to see, but how he did it. He played with the ball with speed and sharpness, driving Rohit Sharma out of his crease and causing him to be uncertain outside off stump again. The Mumbai opener was clearly in discomfort when he tried to determine the movement which is not something that he has seen with any domestic debutant.
Then came another big occasion when Dubey got hit for a six and then was outed by Suryakumar Yadav. The pacer didn’t lose heart, but immediately replied with a delivery that had Surya flummoxed. That reaction under pressure received even greater applause.
When clips of his spell went viral online, it was only natural to make comparison to a former Pakistan left-arm quick bowler, Mohammad Amir, began to circulate across social media. Similarities in the rhythm of the delivery, wrist position and late swing movement were cited. These are sometimes drawn very early, but they do demonstrate his bowling style’s popularity.
But Dubey’s trajectory has been unusual, as well. As opposed to the youngsters that everybody hears about, he broke into the IPL scenario after spending several years of the game without being the focus of major news. Things went his way when the injuries in the KKR team allowed him to make a name, and that’s what he’s done.
This could be a key finding in the future for Kolkata. The new ball is a difficult ball to handle for left arm pacers to swing and this always gives rise to excitement.
At the moment, it is still just the start of his IPL career. However, in a tournament of established names, Saurabh Dubey is the new name up for grabs.
