MUMBAI: In T20 cricket, contributions in clutch moments are often as important as volume of runs or wickets. Over the last two years, Shivam Dube has repeatedly delivered when India needed him the most.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!In the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa, India were reduced to 106/4 and needed someone to support Virat Kohli and lead them to a competitive total. Rohit Sharma backed Dube’s temperament and sent him ahead of Hardik Pandya. The left-hander responded with a decisive 16-ball 27 as he shared a 57-run fifth-wicket stand with Kohli to help India reach 176/7.
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Last year, in the Asia Cup final against Pakistan, Dube again moved up the order, this time ahead of Rinka Singh, and once again made his mark. Entering India at 77/4, he put on a 40-ball 60-run partnership with Tilak Varma to lead India to a five-wicket victory, scoring a 22-ball 33.The 32-year-old has continued to make timely contributions in this edition of the T20 World Cup and will look to do so again when India take on England in the semi-final on Thursday at his home ground, the Wankhede Stadium.It was here that Dube first caught the eye during the inaugural Mumbai League T20, smashing five sixes in an over over Shivaji Park Lions. He repeated the feat in a Ranji Trophy match against Baroda in 2018 and earned an IPL contract the following year.In this World Cup, against the USA and Namibia, Dube did not make an early impact, but his batting picked up as the tournament went on. His 17-ball 27 against Pakistan and a fluent 31-ball 66 against the Netherlands were widely praised, while his quick-fire eight off four balls against the West Indies in the last match helped seal India’s place in the semi-finals.The Chennai Super Kings all-rounder was showered with praise after that match, with head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief pacer Jasprit Bumrah highlighting the importance of his brief cameo.“For me, Shivam’s two boundaries are as important as Sanju’s 97 because if he hadn’t hit those two boundaries, the knock might not have been talked about,” Gambhir said. “The big contributions make the headlines, but the little ones help the team cross the line.”Bumrah echoed the sentiment in a video posted by the ICC on Instagram. “The two fours that Dube hit – not many will appreciate that. But people who understand cricket know that those two boundaries took the pressure off,” he said.While Dube has been consistent with the bat, India would want more impact from him with the ball, where he has been expensive. Bowling coach Morne Morkel believes it’s more about execution than form. “I don’t think it’s a loss of bowling form,” Morkel said on Wednesday. “Shivam knows his game quite well. Sometimes the thought behind the serve is right but the execution was not so good.”Morkel added that improving his decision-making with the ball will be key. “Teams will go after him, but that also creates scoring opportunities. If he’s a bit smarter and executes better, it will make a big difference.”Early in his international career, Dube struggled with short pace but worked hard in the nets to overcome this weakness. India will be hoping to do a similar turnaround with the ball as well.
