Former Indian cricket team coach Ravi Shastri thinks Shivam Dube is really good at hitting sixes. He believes that Dube’s skill at hitting sixes could be very helpful for India in the T20 World Cup. Shastri also thinks that another player, Yashasvi Jaiswal, will be important for India’s chances of winning. Both Dube and Jaiswal will play in their first T20 World Cup, which will take place in the West Indies and USA starting from June 1.
“The two gentlemen you’ve got to watch out for, and both are left-handers, both playing their first World Cup,” Shastri told ICC. “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.”
Dube, a member of the Chennai Super Kings team, has scored 350 runs in 11 matches during this IPL season, boasting an impressive strike rate of 170.73. Shastri believes that Shivam Dube‘s powerful hitting skills could make him the most destructive batsman for India.
“He has understood the way to play” – Ravi Shastri on Shivam Dube
“But there’s someone in the middle order, please watch out for [him], because he 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,” Shastri said. “He’ll park a few balls out of Long Island into the small island, he’s that kind of a player. He hits it big, he hits it long, and like I said, against spin, he could kill you. Even against the fast bowlers, he’s worked out his game.”
“He has understood the way to play and I think he holds the key at that number five, number six 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. 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.”
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