"Playing more all-rounders will increase India's chances of winning"- Shivam Dube [Exclusive]
Shivam Dube is one of the very few seaming all-rounder options that India have at the moment. The swashbuckling 27-year-old is known for using his long levers for the big hits and also for his handy medium pace.
After the success of Hardik Pandya, the Indian team realized the need to fast-track Shivam Dube into the white-ball setup in order to give them multiple options. But due to inconsistency and lack of chances, Dube has also been in and out of the Indian side.
Given the importance of all-rounders in modern-day cricket, Dube would surely fancy his chances of making a comeback for the Men In Blue. In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, the 27-year-old spoke about his early cricketing days, his experience with the Indian team, his future aspirations and much more.
Shivam Dube's early cricketing days
Indian legend Kapil Dev was arguably the last genuine seaming all-rounder produced by the country before the arrival of Hardik Pandya. This speaks volumes about the lack of grooming and desire young cricketers have to become all-rounders of that type.
However, Shivam Dube used to enjoy both batting as well as bowling upfront and picking up wickets. He spoke about how it helped him realize his potential to be a genuine seaming all-rounder.
"When I was 11-12 years old, I used to play as an all-rounder and used to be an opening batsman as well as an opening bowler with the new ball. So from childhood itself I was preparing myself to be an all-rounder," Shivam Dube said.
Shivam Dube's talent was recognized and he made his Ranji Trophy debut for Mumbai in the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy Quarterfinal against Karnataka. Although Mumbai lost the game, Dube had an impactful debut. The southpaw scored 71 runs in the second innings and also picked up a fifer. Dube recalled:
"My debut for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy was in the quarterfinals against Karnataka where I picked up five wickets and also scored 75 runs. So from that point, I was pretty sure that I can be a proper all-rounder for my country."
Rohit Sharma's contribution in Shivam Dube's India debut
Shivam Dube became an overnight sensation when he smashed leg-spinner Pravin Tambe for five sixes in an over in a Mumbai T20 League fixture. He repeated the same feat against Baroda in a Ranji Trophy game and was snapped up by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
Hardik Pandya suffered a back injury and was ruled out of action for a long time. This made Shivam Dube an able replacement for the Indian team as he made his international debut in the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh.
Being a debutant at the international level always takes a toll on a player's nerves. But Shivam Dube was quick to credit stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma for backing him and giving him some much-needed confidence.
"It was difficult to be an all-rounder in international situations, but there was a lot of support from Rohit Sharma. He backed me to perform in the highest level of cricket. I was very nervous in my first game but Rohit Bhai gave me confidence and told me to treat it as a normal Ranji Trophy game. In the third game I got to play as the fifth bowler and it was really difficult for me, but Rohit Bhai backed me and I took two wickets. The confidence that the captain showed in me helped me prove what I can do as an all-rounder," Shivam Dube revealed.
Dube did have some impressive performances for the Men In Blue, such as his maiden half-century in T20Is against the West Indies. He couldn't get a longer run in the side and has played just 13 T20Is and a solitary ODI to date.
Shivam Dube's spell with RCB
Shivam Dube had a great chance to have a breakthrough IPL 2020 season. In 11 games, he scored 129 runs and picked up 4 wickets. However, that was not enough for the selectors to retain him in the T20I squad for the Australian tour.
Dube opened up about his time at RCB and revealed whether he would have liked to bat up the order for Virat Kohli and his men. He said:
"Definitely I would have liked to have batted higher up the order at No.4 or No.5 for RCB. But it is something that the captain and management decide according to what is better for the team. I didn't have a bad season (IPL 2020) since it was not easy to consistently hit 2-3 sixes at the death and I was also bowling in the middle-overs. Releasing me was the choice of the franchise and I am okay with whatever they decided. I have the satisfaction that whenever I was called upon to bowl or bat, I did well for RCB."
The 27-year-old also feels the Indian team needs more than just one all-rounder to have a bigger impact on international cricket. He added:
"You have Hardik Pandya, but you need to have one more all-rounder in the Indian team because getting a seaming all-rounder is always a difficult job. My job is to keep on performing and knocking on the door of the selectors. You see other countries playing 2-3 all-rounders because they always change the course of the game. I definitely feel I will be a part of the future Indian team. Playing more all-rounders will increase India's chances of winning."
Shivam Dube's experience with RR
Shivam Dube was snapped up by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL 2021 auction for INR 4.4 crore and had a decent season, scoring 145 runs in six games. He batted at No.4 ahead of the likes of David Miller and got the freedom from skipper Sanju Samson to express himself.
"Sanju gave me that freedom to bat at No.4 and the franchise also were very supportive of me. They wanted me to perform and show what kind of talent I am. I am also really happy that I have scored runs at No.4," Dube said.
Shivam Dube on his dream of playing Test cricket for India
Shivam Dube has an impressive record in first-class cricket, averaging 48.19 with the bat and having picked 40 wickets as well. He has also impressed for India A in the four-day games, with his best performance coming in the series against West Indies A, where he shone with both bat and ball.
The 27-year-old believes he is capable of representing the Indian team in red-ball cricket as well. He stated:
"I was the man of the series on that tour (West Indies) where I scored 170 runs and also picked up wickets. I am trying my best to improve my performances and get my Test cap."
Shivam Dube has often been under scrutiny for his performances since they get frequently compared to those of Hardik. But the southpaw is determined to focus on himself and avoid all the external noise. He believes if he works hard, he will soon get back into the Indian scheme of things.
"The trolls don't affect me, because I am a very mature guy. People will be there to compare you with someone else. But I always compare myself with my performances and nothing else. I try to become better in every match. I feel that whichever situation the team asks me to perform, I should do the job as an all-rounder," Shivam Dube concluded.