Team India’s former coach Ravi Shastri strongly believes that there are two players that will make a difference for the Men in Blue in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. The former all-rounder set aside Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dube to create a difference in the T20 World Cup 2024.
Yashasvi Jaiswal debuted in the T20 edition the previous year after having accumulated over 600 runs for the Rajasthan Royals and registered four half-centuries alongside a century in 17 fixtures. Shivam Dube made his maiden appearance in the T20 edition in 2019 and made his spot in the Men in Blue squad based on his performance for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL.
Shivam Dube hits sixes for fun- Ravi Shastri
Ravi Shastri spoke to ICC regarding Yashasvi Jaiswal’s fierce showcase against England in the recent Test series:
“The two gentlemen you’ve got to watch out for, and both are left-handers, both playing their first World Cup. One is [Yashasvi] Jaiswal. We know a lot about him, he did extremely well against England, explosive at the top of the order, left-hander, he’s young, he’s fearless and he’ll play shots,” said Ravi Shastri.
Shastri opted that the southpaw can exercise control over spin like no other and can be a game changer in a matter of time. Shastri stated:
“But there’s someone in the middle order, please watch out for [him] because Shivam Dube is explosive, he’s devastating and he’s a match-winner. He hits sixes for fun, and when it comes to spin bowling, he can kill you,” he stated.
“Even against the fast bowlers, he’s worked out his game, he’s understood the way to play and I think he holds the key at that number five, number six is position because if you’re on the doldrums, you want someone to change it in 20-25 balls, he’s the player to go to,” he added.
All-rounder Shivam Dube has gathered 418 runs in 16 outings at 38 for the CSK in the 2023 IPL edition. In the 2024 IPL season, the 30-year-old has registered 350 runs in 11 matches, at an average of 43 with a strike rate of 170.73.
Keep an Eye on this left-hander- Ravi Shastri
The 61-year-old remarked that Shivam Dube‘s fierce approach to set a 190-200 run target will be of great deal in the World Cup 2024. Shastri added:
“His strike rate, which will be close to 200 most of the time, will help India immensely in going forward, getting those 190s, 200s that are needed in big competitions, especially like the [T20] World Cup. So enjoy it, watch out for this left-hander- he’s big, he’s strapping, and he hits a long ball,” said Ravi Shastri.
India’s journey came to an end in the semi-finals of the 2022 edition, losing to England.
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