India vs Bangladesh T20I squad: All you need to know about all-rounder Shivam Dube

During the T20I series against South Africa in September, India captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri were asked about the thinking behind the inclusion of the likes of Washington Sundar, Deepak Chahar and Krunal Pandya in the side. They stated the move was aimed at developing a specialist T20I side with bowling all-rounders ensuring the team bats deep. All of this was done keeping next year’s T20 World Cup in mind. The latest addition to the list of entrants in the T20I side is Shivam Dube, who has been picked for the series against Bangladesh starting 3 November. Here’s all you need to know about the 26-year-old all-rounder from Mumbai.

The moment every young cricketer dreams of has been bestowed on Shivam Dube. He has earned his maiden Team India call for his consistent performances in the domestic circuit!

We are proud of you Shivam Dube.#PlayBold pic.twitter.com/Vo3C3VqKAm

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) October 24, 2019

1. A late start to domestic career Dube played his first domestic match in 2016 when he took the field for Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy against Baroda. He scored 21 not out off 17 balls. The tournament somewhat solidified his image as a limited-overs specialist and early next year, he was picked to play for Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Dube had to wait until the 2017-18 season to make his Ranji Trophy debut for Mumbai. When he did, Dube made sure that he cemented his place in the side by taking his maiden five-wicket haul in the first innings of his first-class debut against Baroda. 2. Big-hitting prowess Dube has the rare distinction of having hit five successive sixes, not once but twice. The first time he achieved the feat was in a Mumbai T20 League fixture in 2018 off Pravin Tambe. The second occasion came at a much bigger stage. Dube was batting for Mumbai in their Ranji Trophy match against Baroda when he pummelled left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh for five sixes and wowed the crowd. The next day, Royal Challengers Bangalore came looking and signed the youngster for a whopping 5 crores. 3. Temporary stoppage to cricket career and fitness issues Dube was a prolific run-scorer in Mumbai’s school cricket even helping his school Hansraj Morarji School win the Under-14 Giles Shield. However, a stoppage of five years in his late teens hampered his progress on the school circuit. When he did return, Dube was 20 years old and under the scanner for weight issues. While the six-hitting ability hadn’t waned, Dube’s fitness always remained in doubt. It was only after he shed 10 kilos that his fitter and leaner self received a new lease of life as far as professional cricket was concerned.

💯 58 balls for his century
⚡️ 17 balls to go from 50 to 100
🙌🏽 10 sixes, 7 fours

🔥 @IamShivamDube#MUMvKAR #VijayHazare #EkdumMumbaihttps://t.co/rsBkKhrkBP

— T20 Mumbai (@T20Mumbai) October 11, 2019

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4. Good first impressions A late start to his first-class career meant that time wasn’t really on his side. However, Dube made sure that he made the most of the opportunities that came his way. After a modest first season, Dube came into his own in the second. A maiden first-class century came against Railways in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy. He finished the season as the second-highest run-getter for Mumbai behind Siddhesh Lad, with 632 runs from 14 innings, at an average of 52.66. Dube did so with two centuries and three fifties to his name. With the ball, he picked up 23 wickets in 13 innings at an average of 23.21. More recently, Dube was in red-hot form for Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy: scoring 177 runs in five outings with three not-outs and an impressive average of 88.50. 5. Dube’s role in the Indian team If Chief Selector MSK Prasad’s statements are any indication, Shivam Dube is expected to fill the boots of Hardik Pandya and Vijay Shankar i.e. an aggressive middle-order batsman who can bowl decent medium pace and has a knack of taking wickets. While Pandya is still recovering from back surgery, Vijay Shankar finds himself out of contention. Hence, Dube was picked with a specific role in mind. Further, Prasad pointed out that Dube’s performances during India A’s tour of the West Indies and the limited-overs series vs South Africa A at home convinced the selectors that he was ready to jump into the national side.