Shivam Dube

India have always been in search of a seam bowling allrounder who could fit in all the three formats. Not long ago, Hardik Pandya emerged on the horizon showing a lot of promise for the future but then injuries got the better of him and he was no longer looked as a strike bowler.

People may not have seen much of Shivam Dube's bowling but he has been picked in the India squad for the T20 World Cup 2024, where he would be expected to get through a few overs. In domestic cricket, Dube plays for Mumbai and in his short first-class career he has scored four centuries and nine fifties, while his bowling has fetched him two five-wicket hauls and his best figures in a match was 7 for 84. His List A and T20 numbers are impressive too.

Dube's big-hitting ability and taking the attack to the opposition, makes him an asset in any batting order. His batting prowess earned him the India cap in 2019, in both ODIs and T20Is, but inconsistency cost him his place. Dube's two IPL seasons (2019, 2020) at Royal Challengers Bengaluru had poor returns before he moved to Rajasthan Royals in 2021 and then to Chennai Super Kings in 2022. CSK retained him ahead of the 2023 season.

The 2023 season was the breakthrough year for Dube as the world got a glimpse of his talent, especially his batting prowess in the middle overs where CSK defined his role in the batting order. The team management asked him to go after the spinners who tend to slow down the tempo of the innings, but that was not the case when Dube was at the crease. His batting evolution in that season helped MS Dhoni-led CSK win the title for the fifth time. The hunger to make a comeback to the Indian side, saw him return to domestic cricket where he worked on his bowling. It is a shame that CSK never made the most of his bowling skills.

Dube's great 2023 IPL season and performances in the domestic circuit brought him back to the India squad for the home T20I series against Afghanistan in 2024. He grabbed the opportunity with both hands and slammed two consecutive fifties. The IPL 2024 too he dazzled in CSK's campaign, while playing a few match-winning and fluent knocks for his team. Mid-way through the IPL 2024 season, the India squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 was announced, where Dube had been included.

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