Mumbai: India’s Shivam Dube (PTI Photo/Kunal Patil) New Delhi: Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir once famously shared his firm belief that batting orders are highly overrated in white-ball cricket, on observation. While this mentality has led to mixed results on other occasions, it certainly paid off handsomely in the 2026 FIFA World Cup T20 semi-final against England. The visitors were taken by surprise after Shivam Dube came in at number four following the dismissal of Ishan Kishan in place of Suryakumar Yadav or Tilak Varma. Spinner Adil Rashid was one of the top wicket-takers (11 dismissals) going into the knockout match and tasted blood after sending Kishan back to the pavilion.
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The Indian innings dominated proceedings at 117/2 in 9.3 overs, enjoying the pace on offer with small boundary dimensions. However, Rashid’s slow and wide deliveries, aimed at stretching the batters, would prove quite challenging in these conditions and hold the key to England’s comeback. However, Dube stepped up when the team needed a hero, a masterful negotiator of England’s spinner, combining intent with risk-free play. Good balls were tucked in for individuals, while deliveries right inside the arc found their way into the stands. “Shivam Dube 2.0 makes presence felt” “Rohit Sharma has given Shivam a lot of cues in terms of the way he should approach his innings. Earlier, he used to come in and simply thrash. But this is Shivam 2.0, who plays according to the situation. The maturity he got from the chat has changed everything. Shivam is now focusing on singles from good deliveries rather than just turning 4025 into crucial sixes, which is helping him. 50s,” said the Mumbai batsman Siddhesh Lad during an exclusive interaction with TimesofIndia.com. “We concentrated on singles when we faced Rashid rather than just trying to slow down every delivery. That’s a sign of the newfound maturity that Shivam is enjoying and that proved crucial against England,” he added. Dube smashed Rashid for two sixes in his third over, reducing the pressure on Sanju Samson and not giving the former a chance to settle and get back on the scene. India settled well for a dominant 190/4 in 16 overs at the end of the England spinner’s spell (2/41), providing the perfect platform for a strong finish in a game decided by fine margins. Captain Harry Brooke had no choice but to bring in Jofra Archer and Sam Curran to play into the hands of Team India. “Dube’s intent puts spinners under pressure” “It was harder to play strokes when the ball was slowly approaching the bat, which is where Dube was able to change the game. When Shivam bowls, the pressure is on the spinners because of the intent with which he takes them,” said Dube’s childhood coach Satish Samant. Shivam was eventually dismissed due to a miscommunication with Hardik Pandya, which left a lasting impact with his 25-ball 43 helping India to a mammoth total of 253. The all-rounder changed the game under pressure, scoring crucial boundaries against the West Indies and is sure to play a vital role in the final.
