In-form Indian All-rounder Shivam Dube expressed his gratitude to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team management and captain MS Dhoni for bringing out the best in him in the shorter format of the game. The 30-year-old is having a brilliant run in India’s current T20I series against Afghanistan.
In the second T20I, Indian all-rounder Shivam Dube smashed a superb unbeaten 32-ball 63 at a strike rate of 196.88 to help India chase down 173 in only 15.4 overs, with the left-handed batsman hitting five fours and four sixes and has picked up the important wicket of Azmatullah Omarzai in the 1st innings.
Speaking on Jiocinema after winning his second consecutive Player of the Match award, Shivam Dube thanked Chennai Super Kings and MS Dhoni for believing in him and bringing out the best in him, as well as Stephen Fleming and Mike Hussey for guiding him to be at his best throughout the cash-rich league.
“The credit goes to the CSK team and Mahi bhai because I have always had the game in me. But bringing out the best from a player is something done by CSK.”
“All the things they have given me, the confidence, they have told me that ‘Shivam, you can score runs in the IPL, don’t worry, we believe in you’. And many others, like Mike Hussey and Fleming, told me that they have faith in me. It was there in my mind,” Shivam Dube said.
After India lost Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Shivam Dube teamed up with Yashasvi Jaiswal to put up a 92-run stand for the third wicket. He also received Player of the Match honours after scoring 60 runs in the 1st T20I. After scoring back-to-back half-centuries, the southpaw is making selectors consider him as a backup to Hardik Pandya.
In the 2023 IPL, Dube was largely employed to play huge shots against spinners. However, he demonstrated improved technique against the short ball, which had previously been lacking in his game, and would be keen on continuing his fine form for CSK in the 2024 season
Shivam Dube contributed significantly to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) title-winning run in IPL 2023. After struggling for several franchises, the hard-hitting southpaw thrived for CSK under Dhoni’s leadership in the IPL 2023. He scored 418 runs in 16 matches with a strike rate of 158.33, including three half-centuries.
