Shivam Dube

Considered one of the most fearsome spin-hitters in world cricket, Shivam Dube is the sort of player who forces opposition captains to change plans around his ability to whack spin out of the ground with consistency. Originally seen as a seam-bowling all-rounder who would battle Hardik Pandya in the international setup, Dube has developed into a player who is capable of making the Indian team as a pure batter alone.

Dube was retained by the Chennai Super Kings ahead of the IPL 2025 season for INR 12 crore, on the back of three fine seasons in the famous yellow shirt. Over the last three seasons, Dube has scored 1103 runs at a strike-rate touching 160, smashing 79 sixes in that time frame. He is a central part of CSK’s plans for the future, especially at the Chepauk, where spin is consistently in operation and presents the team an opportunity to use an aggressive hitter through the middle overs.

Dube was part of India’s T20I World Cup 2024 winning team, playing a crucial knock in the final as he scored 27(16) late in the innings to provide a boost and some very important runs to his team in the first innings.

India have always been in search of a seam bowling allrounder who could fit in all the three formats. Not long ago, Hardik Pandya emerged on the horizon showing a lot of promise for the future but then injuries got the better of him and he was no longer looked as a strike bowler.

Dube, apart from his big hitting ability can also get through a few overs with the ball, which got him picked in the 2024 T20 World Cup. At the tournament he played a key part in India lifting the trophy for the second time. In eight matches at the 2024 T20 World Cup, Dube scored 133 runs. Dube was included in India's T20I and ODI squads for the Sri Lanka tour at the end of July.

In domestic cricket, Dube plays for Mumbai and in his short first-class career he has scored four centuries and nine fifties, while his bowling has fetched him two five-wicket hauls and his best figures in a match was 7 for 84. His List A and T20 numbers are impressive too.

Dube's big-hitting ability and taking the attack to the opposition, makes him an asset in any batting order. His batting prowess earned him the India cap in 2019, in both ODIs and T20Is, but inconsistency cost him his place. Dube's two IPL seasons (2019, 2020) at Royal Challengers Bengaluru had poor returns before he moved to Rajasthan Royals in 2021 and then to Chennai Super Kings in 2022. CSK retained him ahead of the 2023 season.

The 2023 season was the breakthrough year for Dube as the world got a glimpse of his talent, especially his batting prowess in the middle overs where CSK defined his role in the batting order. The team management asked him to go after the spinners who tend to slow down the tempo of the innings, but that was not the case when Dube was at the crease. His batting evolution in that season helped MS Dhoni-led CSK win the title for the fifth time. The hunger to make a comeback to the Indian side, saw him return to domestic cricket where he worked on his bowling. It is a shame that CSK never made the most of his bowling skills.

Dube's great 2023 IPL season and performances in the domestic circuit brought him back to the India squad for the home T20I series against Afghanistan in 2024. He grabbed the opportunity with both hands and slammed two consecutive fifties. The IPL 2024 too he dazzled in CSK's campaign, while playing a few match-winning and fluent knocks for his team. Mid-way through the IPL 2024 season, the India squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 was announced, where Dube had been included.

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