Shivam Dube‘s 118 came off a mere 67 deliveries in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2019, and it included as many as 10 sixes. Just peel past the surface more, and you would have discovered that most of those sixes came off one spinner – Shreyas Gopal. And almost all those sixes were smashed down the ground or through the midwicket region.
That anecdote says enough about Shivam Dube’s strengths. The left-hand batter Shivam Dube uses his reach and power to club bowlers mostly down the ground or in the arc between wide long-on and deep square leg or even fine leg.
The second parameter would be to gauge his game while facing pace. Generally, the consensus is that he has a short-ball problem. To a large extent, that is true. He did show a degree of improvement in the 2022 and 2024 Indian Premier Leagues when his strike-rate against pace jumped up to 171.8 and 164.4, respectively. The upward curve was largely due to the fact that Shivam Dube tried pull shots rather than the agricultural hoicks across the line. As someone who is 6’4″ tall, he doesn’t really need to go back and across to crack the pull.
Unfortunately, despite having the required attributes for power-hitting, Shivam Dube’s strike-rate against pace hasn’t crossed 150 in five of the seven IPL seasons that he has been part of. On paper, Shivam Dube can also bowl a few overs of seam. However, he has only bagged five wickets in 79 IPL matches. For a tall and well-built cricketer, he doesn’t really snap his back hard to extract extra bounce with the ball.
Shivam Dube has also represented India in 35 T20Is. His numbers there too are quite modest. As someone who specialises in power-packed shots, his strike rate of 140.10 is on the lower side. On a brighter note, he played the supporting role in the T20 World Cup final last year. His unbeaten fifties against Afghanistan last year and the half-century that he essayed in the India-England match in Pune this year were also knocks of substance.
But, despite a few noteworthy performances for his country in the shortest format, Dube hasn’t exactly evolved as a cricketer. The India selectors, though, have decided to back Shivam Dube and selected him for the Asia Cup. The rationale behind that was to bring a sense of continuity to the set-up. But in the 15-member touring party, Shivam Dube’s selection seems like the odd one out. He, for one, would be looking to silence his doubters in the Asia Cup.
However in the Asia Cup 2025 so far, Shivam Dube has managed scores of unbeaten 15 and 5 runs vs Pakistan and Oman while claiming 3 wickets with the ball vs UAE . While analyzing the same, R Ashwin has made a shocking statement regarding Shivam Dube’s role in the Playing XI.
R Ashwin makes a shocking claim regarding Shivam Dube’s role in the Playing XI for India
Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin questioned the selection of Shivam Dube for the sake of batting depth ahead of the side’s first Asia Cup 2025 Super Four clash against Pakistan in Dubai on September 21. Dube has played in all three of India’s group stage games as the eighth batting option ahead of a specialist bowler in Arshdeep Singh.
The 32-year-old started the competition with an impressive three-wicket spell against the UAE. However, he did not have the opportunity to bat in the contest. It was a role reversal for Dube in India’s next match against Pakistan as he scored 10* but did not bowl a single delivery. Finally, in the most recent Oman clash, the batting all-rounder struggled with bat and ball, scoring only an eight-ball five and conceding 31 runs in his three overs with the ball.
Talking about Shivam Dube’s selection, Ashwin said on his YouTube channel ahead of the Pakistan match
“The match would have taught India a great lesson. I am really doubting the impact of having Shivam Dube as the extra bowler. If you definitely need a bowler in that position, you would be better off playing Harshit Rana in the position and making him bat.”
Ashwin also praised Oman’s spirited effort against India despite the Men in Blue playing with a weakened side.
“Coming to the match, a champion like Bumrah and a rare mystery spinner like Varun Chakravarthy did not play. So if you remove these two and the pitch is good to bat on, then Oman showed that they possess some quality. At the same, there were a few lessons for India as well,” he said.
India posted a formidable total of 188/8 in their 20 overs, but Oman fought valiantly before falling away for 167/4 in their 20 overs, losing by 21 runs.
India enter the Super 4 stage in commanding form, having brushed aside all opposition in the group stages without major hiccups. Under the guidance of Gautam Gambhir, the squad has looked balanced and prepared, with the top order firing, the bowlers maintaining discipline, and the bench strength also getting valuable game time.
Pakistan, on the other hand, arrive with plenty to prove. After their inconsistent group-stage performances and off-field controversies surrounding the handshake snub and what ensued later on, Salman Ali Agha’s men will need to summon a strong performance to stay in contention for the final. History, however, does not favour them — India have dominated recent encounters across formats, and the psychological edge clearly rests with Suryakumar’s side.
For Indian players, the focus appears to be inward, with little appetite for off-field narratives. The message from R Ashwin is clear. This team does not see the need to fuel the rivalry, because their on-field performances already underline the gulf between the two sides. As the cricketing world gears up for the blockbuster fixture, the question remains whether Pakistan can break the cycle, or if India’s truth, as Ashwin put it, will once again play out under the Dubai lights.
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