Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has praised Shivam Dube for showing fearless intent against New Zealand in the ongoing series. During the fourth T20I at Visakhapatnam on January 28, India were chasing a big target of 216. Dube added 65 runs off 23 balls in a pressure situation after India lost early wickets. Although his knock couldn’t save India, his efforts earned him praise from many experts.
Speaking after the match to Star Sports, Gavaskar highlighted Dube’s mindset and said, “I thought he grabbed the opportunity really well. As you said, when you bat at six or seven, you’re probably only getting three or four overs with a strong India batting line-up. But this time, India lost early wickets and he had to come in sooner. He showed intent from the very first ball – that first-ball six was one of the longest you’ll see, right into the second tier.”
Dube reached his half-century in just 15 balls in the fourth T20I, making him the third-fastest Indian to achieve this milestone after Yuvraj Singh (12) and Abhishek Sharma (14).
Praising this record, Gavaskar said, “When you strike a shot like that early, your confidence soars… It ended up being the third-fastest fifty for India, which is remarkable. You are talking about Yuvraj Singh, Abhishek Sharma, and now Shivam Dube.”
Gavaskar also spoke about Dube’s value in the squad, stating, “The fact that he can also bowl a couple of overs makes him such a valuable player. Having come in earlier this time, he won’t see himself only as a finisher anymore. He’ll believe he can build an innings and finish too, especially in pressure situations.”
In the fifth and final T20I at Thiruvananthapuram, Dube once again showed his intent from the very first ball. Coming in to bat in the last over, he faced only two balls, yet smashed a six off the final delivery, which helped India post a massive total of 271 runs. This proved to be enough as the hosts won the match and clinched the series.
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