NAGPUR: Around a decade back, Shubham Dubey had no money to even buy a pair of batting gloves. The family just about made ends meet with father Badriprasad's income from a paan thela at Kamal Square in the city. On Tuesday, the hard-hitting batter was promised a cheque of Rs 5.80 crore by Rajasthan Royals to play for them in the 2024 IPL season.
Shubham and his family are speechless. "It's an unreal feeling. I did well in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). So, I was hopeful of being picked in the auction. Frankly, though, I was not expecting such a big amount," Dubey said in between thanking hordes of well-wishers thronging the Dubey family residence at Kamal Square on Tuesday evening.
Dubey's 'did well in the SMAT' was an understatement. His blistering knocks this year screamed the 27-year-old's talent and big-hitting prowess.
