When Chennai Super Kings got Shivam Dube in 2022, there was scepticism about the call to go with the all-rounder who had flattered to deceive in the IPL in the three seasons before that.
But since donning the yellow jersey, Dube has turned a corner and become an indispensable part of the squad. Much of that is down to role clarity that the team has given him. After being given the licence to take on the spinners during the middle-overs, Dube has excelled, using his long reach and power to devastating effect.
But even as his game against spin kept improving, teams quickly assessed his shortcomings against the quicks and preferred to tie him down with pacers serving him chin music. Especially with the two-bouncer rule from this year, eyes were on how Dube would respond to the challenge. However, after the first eight games, the Mumbai all-rounder has shown that he is ready for the task, with 311 runs under his belt, including three half-centuries (SR: 169).
In the matches against Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants, where he scored 66, all his boundaries came off the medium-pacers even as teams stopped bowling spinners to him.
When tested with the short-pitched stuff, Dube has shown the confidence to roll his wrists over while also muscling some mighty ones down the ground if the bowlers erred in length. “Got to give a lot of credit to Dube for working tirelessly against the short ball, an area he needed to improve. As the teams bowled short balls at him a few years ago, he would only duck and defend. Now, not only can he play the short ones, but he can also find boundaries,” said CSK batting coach Micheal Hussey recently.
“So, that’s a testament to the work he has put in, and he has given it back to the bowlers, forcing them to try something new,” added Hussey.
If his heroics last year got him back into the India squad after a gap of three years, by addressing his weakness this year, Dube has given himself a good chance of making it to the T20 World Cup squad.
