NAGPUR: Fresh after playing the IPL final, Rajasthan Royals' R Ashwin went straight to play semifinals for his club and led Mylapore Recreation Club 'A' (MRCA) to the final of Chennai League. In the absence of India's second leading wicket-taker, it was Vidarbha's allrounder Harsh Dubey who headlined the team to the final. Ashwin was all praise for the young professional.
"Chennai League is one proud league. It is not easy to do well here. As a youngster, he (Harsh) came and helped us qualify for the finals. I hope he will help us win that (final) game as well," Ashwin had said during an interview, two days before the final.
The 19-year-old Harsh lived upto Ashwin's expectations. He hit a strokeful 116 (107b, 7x4, 6x6) and had a 219-run union with Rishi Dhawan (116 off 109) to put MRCA in a commanding position. The duo helped MRCA pile on 484 for 5 in 88.2 overs on Day 1 of the 2-day game against Vijay CC, a popular India Cements outfit, on Thursday.
This is not the first time Harsh has delivered in crucial matches in Chennai. Earlier in the league phase, he had made the ball spell its magic, grabbing 26 wickets so far and earning accolades from Ashwin.
"Tamil Nadu is a spinning hub and many would have seen the likes of Sai Kishore and M Siddharth. This year, there's this exciting talent (Harsh) who bowls over the top. He played for under-19 India and did well in under-25, we brought him as a professional from Vidarbha. He is bowling beautifully. Who knows he might even play for India very soon as he is bowling exceptionally well," Ashwin had said in the interview.
Post their win in the semis against Grand Slam CC on Monday, Ashwin had hailed Harsh. "Someone like a 19-year-old (Harsh) playing the lead spinner's role is huge. He can take back so much to Vidarbha and could even be lead spinner for them in First-class cricket," he had said.
