In the first T20I game of the three-match T20I series between India and Afghanistan, men in blue beat the visitors by six wickets. It was Indian all-rounder Shivam Dube who shined both with the bat and ball and took India home after collapsing while chasing the target.
Dube played a knock of 60 runs in 40 balls consisting of five fours and two sixes and also grabbed an important wicket of Ibrahim Zadran who was caught by the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma. For this, the player was picked as the man of the match.
Talking after the match, Dube expressed that MS Dhoni has been a source of inspiration for him to develop into a proficient finisher. Having played alongside Dhoni for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League, Dube has honed his skills to excel in striking the ball effectively, particularly during the death overs.
“It felt very good to get a good opportunity. I was keeping myself ready to not miss an opportunity. When I came to bat, I wanted to finish the match. I learned it from Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni), I wanted to finish the match well,” Dube was quoted as saying on Jio Cinema.
He further stated, “I always keep talking to Mahi bhai. He is such a big legend. I always keep learning from him, by seeing him and observing him. He has told me a couple of things about my game. He always rates me, saying I play well. If he rates me, then that gives me motivation to keep playing well. Because of this, my confidence is very high.”
“In terms of my bowling, like you (Raina) said, it doesn’t come overnight,” Dube added.
