Many questioned the selectors when Shivam Dube was recalled to the T20I squad in the last T20I series ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 in June. Dube proved the naysayers wrong as he smashed two unbeaten half-centuries and contributed with the ball as well against Afghanistan in the first two T20Is. The hard-hitting all-rounder smashed an unbeaten 32-ball 63 in Indore to help India get over the line with six wickets in hand and 26 balls to spare. After the match-winning performance, Dube said that skipper Rohit Sharma is happy with his performances so far.
“The skipper is really happy with my performance, he told me well played. (On Jaiswal) We both are stroke players, we know our game. My role was to take on the spinners, but our plan was to both attack and finish the game early. There wasn't any target in mind, but we should have finished the game earlier,” Dube said after India took an unassailable lead in the series against Ibrahim Zadran-led side.
Dube revealed that a lot of hard work has been done behind the scenes that has helped him improve his game.
“There are many things that I have worked on, apart from skill it is about how mentally you prepare for the T20 game. How to handle pressure, and deciding which bowlers to take on. It isn't important to hit every ball,” he said.
Dube has been used by Rohit as a bowler too. In the first game, he picked up a wicket and conceded just nine runs. In Indore, he got the wicket of Azmatullah Omarzai with a slower ball. However, he was trusted by Rohit to bowl the penultimate over where he leaked boundaries. He ended up conceding 36 runs from three overs.
“I have been working on my bowling as well, happy that it worked out in the first game but not as much today. But that is how T20 cricket is,” the all-rounder concluded.
Dube's 32-ball 63 was laced with five fours and four sixes. He shared a 92-run stand for the third wicket with Yashasvi Jaiswal which took the game away from Afghanistan.
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