Since his IPL debut in 2019, he has smashed 57 sixes and 56 fours. Among Indian batters with at least 500 runs in the tournament, nobody else’s sixes tally is greater than his fours tally. Overall, only Kieron Pollard (223 sixes, 218 fours), Andre Russell (183 sixes, 144 fours), Nicholas Pooran (80 sixes, 62 fours), Shimron Hetmyer (67 sixes, 62 fours) and Liam Livingstone (42 sixes, 40 fours) have hit more sixes than fours for this condition in the IPL.
When Dube was with Royal Challengers in 2019 and 2020, they largely used him as a finisher at Nos. 6 and 7, which exposed him to fast bowlers and death-bowling specialists. In 13 innings for them, Dube managed only 169 runs at an average of 16.90, high score of 27 not out, and strike rate of 122.46. With more opportunities up the order for Super Kings and the freedom to line up spinners, Dube has lifted his average to 30.88 after 18 innings and strike rate to 156.71.
“He is someone who can hit very cleanly,” Dhoni said of Dube after he had slammed his first fifty in Bengaluru. “Yes, he has an issue with fast bowlers, but when it comes to the spinners, he’s a very clean hitter and he’s a tall guy. So, he has a different reach compared to some of the other batters. So, the spinners have to adjust their length according to him.
“We had certain plans for him, but once he arrived for our camp, he was injured. So, we couldn’t do a lot of work, so we feel he’s somebody who can deliver and get us those extra runs in the middle overs. The thing is he needs to believe in that more than us. We know he has the talent but once you cross the rope and you’re standing over there [in the middle], you’re on your own. So, you need to have that belief in yourself.”
“When you look at Shivam Dube, the first thing that strikes you is his ball-striking ability,” Muzumdar says. “His ball-striking is unique and very hard, and his six-hitting ability is second to none. That’s why he becomes a very dangerous T20 player. He’s got long levers and uses those long levers to good effect and hence he gets that distance on the ball. He is aware of it, and he goes about training hitting those big shots in those net sessions.
“I’ve seen him hit top-quality spinners in domestic cricket, and here even in the IPL. Of course, the pitches in the IPL and domestic cricket differ, but he’s got the ability to adjust quickly. He’s a thorough professional.”
Focusing on fitness and lower-body strength during the domestic season has also contributed to Dube’s success. With Stokes still on the sidelines, Dhoni has also trusted Dube’s catching and fielding at the hotspots in the outfield.
“If you look at him, he doesn’t seem that methodical, but he’s very methodical in his approach,” Muzumdar says. “When he comes for practice, he’s very straightforward and he knows what he’s going to do out of that session. Every practice session means a lot to him. He was coming out of an injury into the domestic season and again [got injured]. There was not much cricket played post IPL because of the extended monsoons in Mumbai. So, we had a short trip to Ahmedabad and from there we started our campaign in the Syed Mushtaq Ali [Trophy].
“He has worked hard on his fitness and spent a lot of time with the physio and the trainer. He was working a lot on his running and his striding. He just wanted to get more strength in his legs because the hamstring injury was something of a big concern for him.”
But this isn’t the same guy. His role has changed and it’s made him more of a threat. He may no longer be the allrounder, but he is one hell of a spin hitter. With Super Kings set to play four of their last six league fixtures – and potentially the playoffs – at spin-friendly Chepauk, Dube’s influence could be huge.
Deivarayan Muthu is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
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