"When he tells you something positive, your confidence skyrockets"- Shivam Dube on MS Dhoni's role in his incredible comeback
Shivam Dube's success with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) under MS Dhoni was the primary reason behind his selection in India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad. The all-rounder highlighted how Dhoni's subtle advice helped him improve as a cricketer.
Dube felt Dhoni gave him a lot of confidence and suggested a few tweaks to his game. The southpaw was grateful that a legendary player like Dhoni dedicated some of his time to helping the former improve.
Speaking to Star Sports, here's what Shivam Dube had to say about MS Dhoni:
"Mahi Bhai's role was crucial (in my comeback) because if a legendary player like him judges you and gives you advice then it means a lot to any player. When he tells you something positive, your confidence skyrockets instantly. His small pieces of advice has improved my cricket largely."
In 41 matches for CSK, Shivam Dube has scored 1103 runs at an average of 34.47 and a strike rate of 159.16 with as many as eight half-centuries to his name.
Shivam Dube on his bowling in T20 World Cup
Shivam Dube is aware that his bowling could be crucial for India at the T20 World Cup. Despite having bowled just one over in IPL 2024, Dube focussed on the positive side as he had taken a wicket and claimed that he had been working on his bowling in the nets too.
Here's what he said about his bowling and the message from Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid:
"I bowled just one over in the IPL, but I got a wicket in that so that's a big positive and it was important (for confidence). Nevertheless, I had been working in the nets because I knew I had to polish my skills to be there when the situation arose. Rohit bhai and Rahul bhai had told be to express myself as an all-rounder and I have been told that I could be needed to bowl 2-3 overs at any point in time."
Rohit Sharma, on the Club Prairie Fire podcast, spoke about how the Impact Player rule in the IPL had hampered the possibility of the likes of Shivam Dube bowling more regularly.
Dube may well have to fulfil the quota of the fifth bowler alongside Hardik Pandya if India play both their seam-bowling all-rounders in T20 World Cup 2024.