Shivam Dube Shines in India's T20 Opener, Fueling World Cup Hopes

When an ankle injury against Bangladesh in Pune kept Hardik Pandya out of the ODI World Cup, the Rahul Dravid-led team management was left fuming.

The think tank had prepared backups for each other player in case something went wrong, but they hadn't budgeted for Pandya. Dravid was compelled to acknowledge that not having a backup plan for Pandya was a mistake.

The head coach is determined not to make the same mistakes again when the T20 World Cup is held in the US and the West Indies in June. Pandya is anticipated to be healthy and participate in the IPL, but because of his history of injuries, the team management will not take any chances.

This is India's last opportunity to assess their lineup and bench strength against Afghanistan. Though Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's return has received a lot of attention, Shivam Dube's all-around performance in Thursday's opener in Mohali will also be noted.

The 30-year-old Dube bowled two clean overs, demonstrating his versatility as a replacement bowler or as a bowler who can finish an over when the side is short-handed. He has the ability to bat in the middle overs and has demonstrated the ability to put together an innings in the smallest amount of time. The confidence that the Chennai Super Kings had placed in him throughout their IPL championship run the previous season was restored by his undefeated score of 60 off 40 balls.

Being a left-handed batter gives him additional choices and the ability to neutralize the spin threat posed by the opponent, which might be advantageous in the West Indies. Dube's handling of the situation demonstrated maturity and responsibility, which would have inspired the team. They could look up to this all-around player because he gives the side balance.

It comes as no surprise that Mahendra Singh Dhoni has had an impact on Dube. "Mahi bhai once told me something, and they are the words that have inspired and encouraged me the most. Dube stated on the CSK website during the previous season, "He told me you're good, just be fearless."

Similar to the majority of recent arrivals, Dhoni's impact was crucial to his development at CSK. Dube has his limits against real pace and short-pitched stuff, but can be dangerous against the spinners. This quality was swiftly picked up on by Dhoni and coach Stephen Fleming, who used him wisely when the spinners came on and saw results.

Dube was able to succeed because of his clarity and well-defined strategy. Dube didn't forget to give Dhoni credit for his accomplishments on Thursday.

"I wanted to apply what I had learned from MS Dhoni about finishing games when I came to bat," Dube stated. "I talk to Mahi bhai all the time. He gives me advice on how to handle certain circumstances. He has graded my batting and offered me two or three recommendations. So I think I'll keep playing well if that's how he feels about my batting. That made me feel more confident.

"It felt great to finish games while chasing in T20, as it's crucial for a batter to do," he remarked.

In his first game under the India skipper, Rohit also gave encouragement to Dube. "The only thing Rohit told me was to 'keep playing this way and be positive in your game.'" You are aware that you are capable of winning the game and scoring from any location.

Is he thinking about the World Cup selection in the background? "Every cricket player's dream is to contribute and help his country win," he stated. That is therefore constantly on the back of my thoughts. However, there's still a lot of time, so I want to go cautiously.

Dube has done the right thing thus far.

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