"I used to watch him on TV growing up"- RR's Shubham Dubey shares 'unbelievable and overwhelming' experience of talking to Kumar Sangakkara
Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter Shubham Dubey was awestruck when he met Sri Lankan legend and RR head coach Kumar Sangakkara for the first time in person ahead of the IPL 2024 season.
Dubey had a sensational season in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2023/24 for Vidarbha, scoring 221 runs at a strike rate of 187.28. While it was natural for any player to feel a little nervous stepping up to the IPL, Sangakkara advised Dubey to treat it like any other tournament he had played.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, here's what Shubham Dubey had to say about his emotions on meeting and speaking with Kumar Sangakkara:
"I had spoken to Sangakkara sir and he advised me to not get fazed by the big occasions. He backed me to keep playing the game I have for all these years. I used to watch him on TV growing up and to speak to him in person was really unbelievable and overwhelming."
Shubham Dubey has just been in awe of the training facilities at RR's academy, MSD.7, in Talegaon. He also shed light on the warmth he received when he joined the RR camp. Dubey believes the Royals are possibly the best franchise any youngster could hope for as a newcomer to the IPL.
Shubham Dubey on getting picked for the Rajasthan Royals
Shubham Dubey's stunning performance in domestic cricket didn't go unnoticed as he was a part of a bidding war between the Rajasthan Royals and the Delhi Capitals. The Royals eventually won the bidding after splashing out a whopping INR 5.8 crore for Dubey's services.
Speaking about the immediate reactions of his family, Dubey said:
"I was as usual on the ground, but my family was excited for the auction. Initially they were a bit nervous as some big names went unsold. They were worried whether I would even get a bid. However, after the break when my name popped up and when the Rajasthan Royals bid, the entire family was relieved. I was shocked to see a bidding war for myself. It was unbelievable."
The Royals have a history of grooming talented players and the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel have been the latest examples who made it to the Indian team. Shubham Dubey will be hopeful that he follows a similar path and proves his mettle in IPL 2024.