Shivam Dube took centre stage at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad this Wednesday, 18 February. He led India to a 17-run win over the Netherlands. The tall left-hander whacked a quickfire 66 runs from just 31 balls. Then, he switched gears to his bowling and picked up two crucial wickets.
Shivam Dube’s Big Game Keeps India Rolling
This all-around performance kept India’s winning streak alive in Group A of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Because of his effort, the match officials gave Dube the Player of the Match trophy. He joined a small group of Indian stars who have scored a fifty and taken a wicket in the same T20 World Cup game.
Fixing the Gaps
Dube talked about his progress after the game ended. He spoke with former keeper Parthiv Patel about how his game has changed since he joined the Chennai Super Kings. He admitted that back in his early IPL days, top-tier bowlers constantly targeted his weakness against the short ball. Dube has plenty of power, but he knew he had to fix his technique if he wanted to make it at the international level.
“When I had started playing in the Indian Premier League, I was struggling at that time with short balls. And I figured out real quick that to dominate at this level, I needed to fix the problem. I already had the strength. So, I thought I should not be lagging behind because of this shortcoming. And then in the off-season I practised hard with short balls.”
The Dhoni Effect
MS Dhoni played a massive part in helping Dube change how he handles those aggressive bouncers. Dhoni told him to focus on finding gaps or just rotating the strike instead of trying to clear the fence every single time.
“Mahi Bhai (MS Dhoni) also told me that it’s not necessary to hit a six off those types of deliveries; I can also look for singles as well as boundaries. So, I have been doing that since. I look to tap the ball into gaps. Of course, if the ball is in my hitting area, I will hit it, but if it’s not, I am content with taking singles or hitting boundaries at the start of my innings.”
Dube listened, spending his time away from the game working on his pull shot and practising how to nudge the ball into open spaces for easy runs. In this latest knock against the Netherlands, he showed a great mix of power and control. He hit four fours and six sixes while making sure he only went after the right balls.
India are now looking ahead to the Super 8s. They will play South Africa on 22 February in Ahmedabad. Fans are hoping Dube keeps up this smart, powerful style as the stakes get higher.
