'Fearless' Shivam Dube steps out of comfort zone with timely knock to make case for T20 World Cup

On Thursday, the phenomenon called Shivam Dube finally arrived at the international stage. For a long time, Dube had been pipped to become India’s next finisher, a role in T20 cricket that is so diverse, so much so that even the likes of Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma have been backed to play similar acts in the shortest format. In the first T20I against Afghanistan in Mohali on Thursday, though, Shivam Dube seemed like he was in a league of his own. Usually, a finisher is only required a wrap things up irrespective of it being a winnable or non-winnable position, but on Thursday, the platform was well set for Dube to prove that he was more than just a finisher. Before the match, Dube may not have even had the thought of coming out to bat as early as in the fourth over of a run-chase. However, a terrible mix-up between Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill (With the captain eventually run-out) and the eventual dismissal of Gill just a few overs later meant that Dube had to work overtime.

𝘿𝙪𝙗𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙩𝙮𝙡𝙚 😎#TeamIndia takes the lead in #IDFCFirstBankT20ITrophy 💪#JioCinemaSports #GiantsMeetGameChangers #INDvAFG pic.twitter.com/NfstiW1s4O

— JioHotstar Reality (@HotstarReality) January 11, 2024

And there were clear signs that Dube was prepared to go that extra mile. At 30 years old, having played just 19 T20Is for India since his debut in 2019, Dube was ready to make a mark. He hardly showed any nerves during his knock, in fact, he looked fearless, just like what MS Dhoni had told him last year. “Mahi Bhai (MS Dhoni) once told me something and those are the most encouraging and motivating words for me. ‘You’re good, just be fearless’,” Dube had said in an interview with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) last year. Apart from being fearless, for Dube, it was about getting out of his comfort zone. For long, Dube, who has gone on to become a pivotal player for CSK, had been delivering cameos with the bat in the IPL, and more often than not, it wasn’t about anything more. But his timely 40-ball 60 against Afghanistan with India having just two more T20Is to prepare as a unit before the T20 World Cup in June will be a happy headache for the national selectors. Dube makes his opportunity count For Dube, this knock wasn’t about the amount of pressure he had while coming onto bat early in the match. Instead, the Mumbai-born cricketer played his style of cricket with full freedom, courageously facing those short balls. Dube got off to a rather cautious start, not taking too many risks and letting himself settle down. It was only once he crossed the 30-run mark, that he accelerated and eventually put the hosts on track for victory. Dube only accumulated a couple of maximums during his knock, and one of them came with a powerful slog sweep over deep midwicket off Mohammad Nabi’s over. Dube continued rotating strike, in a bid to frustrate the opposition, and the all-rounder could have been at the receiving end of things had Afghanistan reviewed for a wicket in the 17th over. It was a full length ball from Azmatullah Omarzai and on this occasion, Dube played a drive away from the body before being beaten on the outside edge. While there was no appeal from the Afghanistan players whatsoever, the UltraEdge did show a spike. However, given that Dube had done most of the damage by then already, even his dismissal would have hardly mattered for the Men in Blue.

𝘿𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝘿𝙪𝙗𝙚 💪

A well crafted half century by Shivam gives 🇮🇳 a upper hand in the #INDvAFG 1st T20I 👊#IDFCFirstBankT20ITrophy #JioCinemaSports #GiantsMeetGameChangers #INDvAFG pic.twitter.com/CARo7T3TfS

— JioHotstar Reality (@HotstarReality) January 11, 2024

The very next ball, Dube would get to his fifty with a flick through the leg side before eventually signing off the match with a lofted maximum over Naveen-ul-Haq’s head followed by a pull shot behind square for a boundary the very next ball. One splendid performance may not favour Dube’s case for the T20 World Cup and given the competition for slots, it won’t be easy for the all-rounder to cruise into that playing XI all the time. But, what he has done is, he has made this opportunity count. A knock like this would certainly give him confidence going into the season ahead. And with the Indian Premier League (IPL) also being a platform to determine World Cup probables, that only strengthens Dube’s case, should he continue this fine run of form. Apart from his batting heroics, Dube did stand out among the bowlers as well. Finishing with figures of 1/9 from two overs in a T20 is no mean feat, and although Dube hasn’t had much success as a bowler in the shortest format, he was still impactful against the Afghans. He gave away just one boundary, an extra cover drive from Azmatullah when Dube unleashed a full length ball. Barring that, Dube was at the top of his game, including taking the wicket of captain Ibrahim Zadran who was caught by Rohit Sharma at cover. What makes Dube a worthwhile candidate for the T20 World Cup is that he is aware of his game and that there are no distractions whatsoever. It’s been one of his major characteristics, both at CSK and whenever he has played for Team India. “First 2-3 balls, I feel a bit of pressure, after that I just focus on the ball and I don’t think much on what’s going on. In T20s, I know what I bat, and I know I can hit big sixes, so I can generate runs any time. Bowling, today I got the opportunity and I executed what I needed,” Dube said after the game , while receiving the Player of the Match trophy. The T20 World Cup is still months away and nobody is a certainty yet as far as who makes the squad is concerned. For Dube, however, one thing is certain: He has got to make these opportunities count because not every day you get to seize the platform for yourself like he did on Thursday.