“Dube’s [the player’s] inability to bowl is due to the Impact Player regulation… However, he will undoubtedly bowl when the time and circumstance call for it, according to Pathan.
Irfan Pathan believes that Shivam Dube’s mentality and all-around skills played a significant role in his selection for the Indian T20 World Cup team, which was revealed by the BCCI on April 30. With his steady performances for the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League, where he has flourished as a middle-order batsman who can also contribute with his seam bowling ability, Dube attracted the attention of the selectors.
With 350 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 171.56 and an outstanding average of 50, including three half-centuries in ten innings, Dube is among the top 10 run scorers in the current IPL. Only two strikes separate him from Heinrich Klaasen’s 28 strikes over the boundary, placing him third on the six-hitting lists. Even though Dube hasn’t bowled in the IPL 2024 due to the Impact Player rule, his ability to ravage spin was never in doubt, but his daring batting in the middle overs and a noticeably improved game against pacers meant he left no excuse for the selectors to not trust him.
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Shivam Dube can offer you one or two overs, which is why he was chosen. He has been bowling for the Chennai Super Kings on a regular basis in the nets. The Impact Player rule has prevented him from bowling during the game and from playing on the field, which is why he hasn’t had the chance to bowl. However, he is bowling, and he can bowl at least one or two overs for Team India when the necessity arises, he remarked.
Regarding his hitting prowess, I was particularly excited about the Sunrisers Hyderabad matchup between him and Pat Cummins this IPL season. I was curious to see how Pat Cummins would really match up with Shivam Dube. His goal was to bowl short deliveries outside the off stump. I was aware that he would bowl that, but I was also interested in seeing how Shivam would respond. Because if the time comes to face Australia and Pat Cummins hits one six on the backfoot against that slow delivery out of the park, you might have to counter that kind of strategy. And I was quite thrilled about that. It gave me the impression, and I’m sure the selectors felt the same way, that he was going up against Pat Cummins, a top-notch Australian bowler, with the same kind of mentality he was using against other bowlers. That’s why I felt more confident that he would perform. It is true that he may struggle to execute under pressure, but you will still hope that he can pull it off,” Pathan continued.
In order to maintain the team’s balance, Mohammad Kaif, Pathan’s fellow panelist, disclosed his starting eleven, emphasizing the roles that Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya play.
See also: India’s Team List and Squad Specifics for the 2024 T20 World Cup
In the past, batters used to bowl, even on a part-time basis. However, that trend has since stopped. You do gain something from that, but in my opinion, Dube need to be in that team from the very beginning. Look, Rohit Sharma, Jaiswal, Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, and Rishabh Pant will be in order, followed at six by Dube and Hardik Pandya. Then, at eight, you have to choose between Jadeja and Axar Patel. Kuldeep will bat at number nine since he is my first choice among the spinners. Then Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh ought to be the two fast bowlers, according to Kaif.
“You can bowl Pandya or Dube after Hardik Pandya gives you some overs, giving you four appropriate bowling options.” Pandya will deliver four overs if he is bowling well; if not, Dube will be added to the overs. This side will be extremely balanced, in my opinion. Dube is in such form that he can hit sixes even with spin; against Rashid Khan, he hit the first and second balls for six. It’s fine even if you play him at five and Hardik bats after him. You can image the mindset this youngster has if Dube is attacking Rashid Khan, one of the most dangerous bowlers in the world. Thus, a player such as him shouldn’t be left out of the starting lineup. Play him, and find a place for him,” he continued.