Did 'Thala's Touch' Transform Shivam Dube's Career?

(Shivam Dube in the Chennai Super Kings Jersey)

A player from the Indian Cricket team who has hardly cared about the footwork while playing, Shivam Dube has been India’s All-Rounder who is now in the news because of his top form and the way he has been smacking the bowlers through his bat flow. Entering the Indian team as an All-Rounder and a hitter who can finish matches well, Shivam Dube earned a reputation because of his big physique and the way he toiled with the bowlers. However, soon he was left out of the team because of his poor form and hence even lost the IPL contract from the Royal Challengers Bangalore team only to get picked by the Chennai Super Kings later on to again get into the news headlines.

How did Shivam Dube get the spotlight in 2018?

Coming from a decent family and hailing from Mumbai, Shivam Dube started his cricketing journey when he was 10 and used to play with his family. Soon after developing an interest in the game, he started taking it seriously and was selected for Mumbai’s under-23 team where he made sure that everyone remembers him well for his brilliant performances. His outstanding displays in club cricket and knack for hitting sixes grabbed selectors' notice, earning him a spot in Mumbai's senior squad across formats. The left-handed batsman's shining moment came when he blasted five sixes in an over during a crucial Ranji Trophy match against Baroda in 2018.

(Shivam Dube in Royal Challengers Bangalore)

These sixes just before the IPL Auction allowed him to be on the news headlines and hence got the much-deserved hype which made sure that the IPL teams had him on their desired list. With the all-rounder capabilities, Royal Challengers Bangalore finally got him for a big amount of INR 5 Crore and everyone was excited to see him because of the scarcity of fast bowling All-Rounders in the Indian team. However, his stint with the Royal Challengers Bangalore wasn’t good enough as in the two seasons played by him, he scored just 169 runs for the team.

Besides being in the IPL, Shivam Dube also became a part of the Indian team in between and managed to play against the Bangladesh team in a T20 series. Besides this, he also managed to make his ODI debut against the West Indies team. Later he was also a part of the Indian team that toured New Zealand. But nothing went right for him and hence was dropped from the Indian team after just a few bad performances in his career.

(Shivam Dube playing for Rajasthan Royals in the 2021 season)

After the end of the 2020 season, Royal Challengers Bangalore decided to release Shivam Dube because of his poor form and hence was again back in the auction pool where he was bought by the Rajasthan Royals for a price of INR 4.40 Crore and hence he was playing for them as an All-Rounder. In that season, he managed to score 230 runs from the 9 innings played alongside having an average of 28.75 and a strike rate well under 120.00. After this season, he was again released by the Rajasthan Royals and his career looked done and dusted.

IPL 2022 season: A lifeline for Shivam Dube

With the poor performances for 2 major IPL teams, it was only a miracle that any IPL team would have targeted him despite knowing that he isn’t going to bowl much. But the policy of Chennai Super Kings being that they always help the struggling cricketers came into the act and they managed to include Shivam Dube for a price of INR 4.00 Crore. Coming to the yellow jersey, everyone felt that this was the perfect move for him as MS Dhoni will give him the confidence to play at the biggest stage and he also delivered accordingly for the team.

In the 2022 season, Chennai Super Kings had a poor season and weren’t able to defend their title after winning the IPL in 2021. However, in the middle order, Shivam Dube displayed amazing form and made sure that Chennai Super Kings avoided the wooden spoon as the team finished in the 9th position with 4 wins in the 14 games played. Throughout the 11 matches played by him, he scored 289 runs while maintaining an average of 28.90 while his strike rate of 156.22 was enough to allow him to come well for the team.

(Shivam Dube playing for the Chennai Super Kings)

Coming with an amazing performance in the 2022 season, the Chennai Super Kings decided to retain the big man for the 2023 season too as he was their best batter in the middle order and hence was always going to be handy for them. In the league matches, Shivam Dube played brilliantly for the team and was the major reason why Chennai reached the Playoffs with much ease. In the 16 matches played by him, the all-rounder scored 418 runs with an average of 38.00 and a strike rate of 158.33 was enough to tell his dominance in the middle order of the team.

Besides this, his cameo in the Finals was an amazing one for the Chennai Super Kings team as he was given the number 3 position in the match because of his hitting ability and he delivered accordingly. In just 21 balls, he scored 32 runs for the team which included 2 sixes against Rashid Khan and it changed the momentum of the game. In the end, it was Ravindra Jadeja who scored 10 runs from just 2 balls to seal the 5th trophy for the Chennai Super Kings.

(Shivam Dube with MS Dhoni in the Chennai Super Kings Jersey)

In an interview just before the Indian Premier League, Shivam Dube even credited his success to MS Dhoni and the Chennai Super Kings team as they helped him to earn his form and confidence back. He even appreciated the CSK management who allowed him to bat freely and hence he has been giving them the results. He said:

“This credit goes to the CSK team and Mahi bhai. I always had the game, but what CSK do is take out that game from a player. So, they have given me that confidence. They told me that I could score runs in the IPL and that they believed in me. The likes of Hussey and Fleming said they had faith in me and that I could do what they wanted. When I was with CSK, he (Dhoni) told me that I had the capability to bat well. But he told me to be smart. So, I focussed on my limitations and what I could do well.”

Comeback in the Indian team

The T20 series against New Zealand in 2020 was the last assignment of Shivam Dube in the Indian colours and after that, he was dropped from the team because of his poor form and inability to hit the ball big during the death overs. Furthermore, his IPL performances and domestic career were on a decline which made things tough for him. But after joining the Chennai Super Kings, his career has completely transformed and become an asset for the IPL team. Besides this, he made a roaring comeback into the Indian team after he was selected for the T20 team against Afghanistan early in the 2024.

(Shivam Dube playing for the Indian team against Afghanistan)

In the first T20I encounter between India and Afghanistan on January 11, 2024, he made a significant impact. Scoring a swift 60 runs off 40 deliveries, he also contributed with the ball, taking a wicket and conceding just 9 runs. This exceptional performance positioned him among the elite, as only the fourth Indian cricketer to achieve a fifty and a wicket in a T20I match. Furthermore, now with his elite performance for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, the Indian team might be considering taking him up for the T20 World Cup 2024.