The former India pacer Salil Ankola’s voice carried a palpable feeling of unease concerning Shivam Dube. When a senior member of the squad bats and strikes the ball so brilliantly, it is always helpful for the team, Ankola remarked of Shivam Dube. Little did he realize at the time that it would be an abysmal night for the all-rounder, who went from being a potential hero to a zero in the space of a few minutes.
With a stroke-filled 49, Dube justified his promotion up the order by batting with outstanding poise, control, and aggression, justifying his elevation ahead of the more accomplished Ambati Rayudu. Shivam Dube was in an acceleration mode, which sped him away from his well-deserved half-century. This was due to the accelerated mode of his performance, which pushed his side to a huge total of 210.
The awaited mystery in the second half of Shivam Dube
Dube was in for a good night. Being the side’s sixth/seventh bowling option, a couple of solid overs and he’ll be the reigning champions’ star of the night. He was about to meet an enticing prospect.
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Shivam Dube came to the IPL with a mission. He wanted to disprove his critics and reclaim his spot in the squad – not the Indian team, but the Mumbai team. Ankola had chosen him for the Mumbai team, but the captain-coach combo of Prithvi Shaw and Amol Muzumdar did not put him in the XI for any of the season’s three Ranji games. They chose Mohit Awasthi and Siddharth Raut, two debutants, over an international.
It’s easy to go from champion to chump in Twenty20 cricket, and Shivam Dube may have learned that the hard way. Dube could have turned things around with a few solid deliveries in the crucial 19th over when the team had a 34-run cushion to defend. He delivered six ugly balls, including a handful of wides, with most of his deliveries pitching into the hitting zone of the rampaging Evin Lewis. He was thrashed for 25 runs by the Lucknow Super Giants.
The strategic errors in the decision to hand the crucial over to Shivam Dube
Strategically, it appeared to be an appallingly terrible error by the club management, especially with Dwayne Bravo in the side, who has proven to be one of the finest in death overs. Bravo’s quota had run out by the 18th over, thus Shivam Dube might have bowled earlier.
Any, Shivam Dube has 12 more games to prove his worth and regain his place on the national team. To begin with, earn a place in the Mumbai team.
