The rising Indian all-round sensation – Shivam Dube
In the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy season, Mumbai finished sixth in the nine-team group with only one win in their account. Despite the unsuccessful outing, they unearthed a gem for Indian domestic cricket. The upcoming cricketer fetched a price tag of five crores in the player auction for IPL 2019. Mumbai’s Shivam Dube will play for Royal Challengers Bangalore this year.
Dube exhibited the first signs of him being ready for the T20 Extravaganza in one of the local 20-over tournaments. Representing Shivaji Park Lions in the T20 Mumbai competition, the 25-year old regularly dispatched the ball in the stands of Wankhede Stadium.
Dube’s finest moment was smashing five sixes in one over of the veteran leg spinner Pravin Tambe. Tambe had earlier dominated international batsmen in the IPL but Dube showed no mercy on the senior whatsoever.
The performance helped the all-rounder to establish himself into the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team for the ‘18-19 season. Dube proved his credentials with solid displays. He finished the season as the second highest run-getter and highest wicket-taker of the team. To achieve this feat in a side filled with five-six international players was astounding.
On the 2019 IPL auction-eve, Dube provided a glimpse of his destructive skills by depositing Baroda’s Swapnil Singh in stands on five consecutive balls. His five sixes in an over eventually fetched Dube five crores in the auction next day. The left-hand batsman and right-arm medium pacer will be playing under Kohli’s leadership.
Playing in the Giles shield (Under-14 competition), Dube performed a significant role in taking his school, Hansraj Morarji school, to the Champion’s spot. He left cricket for the next few years due to personal reasons but returned to the game at the age of 20.
The tall all-rounder then impressed in local cricket with his power-hitting and effective bowling. Speaking about Dube, Milind Rege (former Mumbai selector) said, “He reminds me of a young Yuvraj Singh. He hits the ball hard, is fearless and is an ideal No. 6. I’ve seen him decimate bowling attacks in club cricket. The one aspect that is work in progress is his fitness. With the ball, he is a wicket-to-wicket bowler, who has worked on his variety. He can work on his pace.”
This IPL, Shivam Dube will be playing in the red and black outfit of Royal Challengers Bangalore. RCB side has struggled to pin down its finisher; they will want Dube to fit in that role perfectly. A splendid debut season for the high-profile team will propel his career to enormous heights.
