What could be Shivam Dube’s key strength? Over the last few months, Dube has undoubtedly upgraded his bowling. He is snapping his back harder, hitting the deck with greater intent, extracting extra bounce and bowling a shade quicker. The numbers back this up. The 6’4” all-rounder has picked up 11 wickets at an average of 17.63 in T20Is this year. Yet, a closer look suggests that seam bowling is still not his primary skill set.
Historically, Dube has been selected mainly for his power-hitting, particularly against spin. Judged through that lens, his batting returns this year raise questions. He has scored 171 runs at an average of 19 and a strike rate of 144.51. To his credit, he played a vital knock of 42 off 22 balls in the 2025 Asia Cup final against Pakistan. Earlier in the year, his 63 against England helped India post a match-winning total. Beyond those two innings, however, Dube has had little of note to show with the bat.
More recently, during the India–South Africa T20I at Mullanpur, Dube walked into bat at No. 8. It is difficult to fathom why a designated power-hitter would be slotted that low while chasing a target in excess of 200. Even if one accounts for the occasional under-utilisation of his batting skills, the question remains whether India would be better served by opting for a specialist bowler such as Kuldeep Yadav.
There is no disputing Kuldeep’s pedigree. He has claimed 88 wickets in T20Is at an outstanding average of 13.34. But his inclusion would potentially leave India with a long tail of Bumrah, Arshdeep, Varun and Kuldeep. While Arshdeep can chip in with the odd boundary through the on-side, the lower order would suddenly look fragile. That, in turn, runs counter to the current Indian think-tank’s preference for extended batting depth.
In an ideal world, Kuldeep would be the natural choice to take up the No. 8 slot. However, modern T20 teams across the globe prioritise batting depth. Against that backdrop, it is difficult to see the Indian backroom staff abandoning their strategy of strengthening the lower order. Dube’s presence, then, is akin to using silver tape to plug a gap or two down the order, not perfect, perhaps, but a pragmatic compromise.
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