Shivam Dube delivered a brilliant all-round performance for India in their fourth Group A match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Wednesday (February 18) against the Netherlands in Ahmedabad. The southpaw smashed 66 runs off just 31 balls and later picked up two wickets in three overs. India won that match by 17 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium, and Dube was named Player of the Match for his outstanding effort.
Dube on how joining CSK helped him grow as a batter
After the game, Dube spoke with former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel about his batting progress. He shared that getting picked by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL 2022 mega auction helped him grow as a batter.
Dube agreed that earlier in his IPL career, he found it difficult to deal with short-pitched bowling. But he realised quickly that if he wanted to succeed at the highest level, he had to improve that part of his game.
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“When I had started playing in the Indian Premier League, I was struggling at that time with short balls. And I figured out real quick that to dominate at this level, I needed to fix the problem. I already had the strength. So, I thought I should not be lagging behind because of this shortcoming", Dube said.
Dube on MS Dhoni's advice
He explained that during the off-season, he worked hard specifically on handling short balls. He also revealed how MS Dhoni’s advice made a big difference.
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“And then in the off-season I practised hard with short balls. Mahi Bhai (MS Dhoni) also told me that it’s not necessary to hit a six off those types of deliveries; I can also look for singles as well as boundaries. So, I have been doing that since. I look to tap the ball into gaps. Of course, if the ball is in my hitting area, I will hit it, but if it’s not, I am content with taking singles or hitting boundaries at the start of my innings," Dube added.
Dube, who was also part of the Indian team that won the T20 World Cup in 2024 under Rohit Sharma, hit four fours and six sixes in his knock against the Netherlands. His all-round show not only guided India to victory but also put him in a special list.
With his half-century and two wickets, Dube became just the third Indian player after Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya to score 50 or more runs and take at least one wicket in the same T20 World Cup match.
India's upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 outing
India will now take on South Africa in their first T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash which will take place on February 22 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.