Abhinav Mukund, a former India opener, suggested that MS Dhoni likely addressed Shivam Dube’s challenges with short-pitched deliveries. It’s widely known that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and captain MS Dhoni played a crucial role in Shivam Dube’s comeback to international cricket.
The tall all-rounder has consistently emphasized Dhoni’s impact on his game since joining CSK in IPL 2022, noting that Dhoni always supported him in playing his natural game.
“This credit goes to Chennai Super Kings and Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) because I always had this game in me. They have brought out the best in me. They have always encouraged me and said that they believe in me. Stephen Fleming and Mike Hussey have shown faith in me,” Dube mentioned this after scoring back-to-back half-centuries in the T20I series against Afghanistan.
Apart from changing how he thinks and getting to bat higher in the order for CSK, did Dhoni suggest any different ways for Dube to bat? Yes, he did. Former India cricketer Abhinav Mukund thinks Dhoni probably talked to Dube about facing short-pitched deliveries.
“A little birdie told me that Dube had a chat with MS Dhoni and he told him – not rocket science – don’t attack the short ball,” Mukund told Jio Cinema.
Dube’s difficulties facing short deliveries and the influence of MS Dhoni
Although he is among the tallest cricketers in Indian cricket, Dube has faced challenges with short-pitched deliveries. Afghanistan employed the same strategy in the first T20I in Mohali when he came to bat.
However, in this instance, Dube was ready to confront it. While he appeared slightly uneasy, he followed Dhoni’s advice and didn’t lose his wicket recklessly. The outcome was an undefeated 60 runs from 40 balls, securing India’s victory in Mohali.
He continued this form with another undefeated innings, scoring 63 runs off 32 balls in the second T20I on Sunday, displaying powerful hitting that made a strong spin attack seem ordinary.
“It’s a pleasure to keep improving my performance as I am going along. The range I have is god’s gift and I have also worked a lot on it. I have developed many areas of my game and I am getting the runs on the board,” Dube told JioCinema.
Regarding the efforts invested in enhancing his skills against short-pitched deliveries, Dube commented:
“I have worked a lot on it. When I was playing domestic cricket, I was able to dominate all the bowlers, but when it came to IPL and Indian cricket it was not easy as bowlers were bowling over 140km/hr. I worked a lot with side arms, but it is more about the mindset which I worked.”
Dube talked about the difficulty of staying in the present and not getting ahead of himself with thoughts about the upcoming T20 World Cup.
He said: “In the past I have thought a lot about the future. But I have realised that I got to focus on the present. I have to focus on how to improve my skills, so that’s more important to me. I just try to keep myself grounded and try to focus on what I have to do.”
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