Gavaskar shared his views on what the selectors should do with Shivam Dube when Hardik Pandya returns to the squad. Dube has been in great form vs Afghanistan.
All-rounder Shivam Dube extended his free-scoring run in the 2nd T20I of the ongoing Afghanistan series as Rohit Sharma’s Team India cruised to another comfortable win over the Rashid Khan-less side on Sunday. Half-centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dube powered the Virat Kohli-starrer side to a six-wicket win in the T20I series decider at Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. Dube remained unbeaten on 63 off 32 balls to earn plaudits from former Indian cricketer Rohan Gavaskar after the match.
In the absence of superstar Hardik Pandya, Dube has emerged as India’s frontline all-rounder. India’s stand-in skippers Pandya and Surykaumar Yadav are nursing their injuries as the Mumbai Indians (MI) duo was unavailable for selection when India announced its squad for the Afghanistan series. Returning to the white-ball squad for India’s final T20I before the T20 World Cup, Dube has raised his stocks with his all-round show in the first two matches.
‘Even if Hardik is fit, he is…’
Speaking to Cricbuzz about Dube’s recent performances, former Indian cricketer Gavaskar opined that the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star has given the Indian think tank some selection headaches in the World Cup year. “We have been talking about him as, ‘Oh, listen, what if Hardik is unfit?’, I think what he is doing is making sure that even if Hardik is fit, he is on that plane in that World Cup squad. If you put in performances like this, it is very hard for anyone to drop you. It is going to be a really tough decision for the selectors if they decide to drop him. He is doing all that he can, which is giving the selectors a headache,” Gavaskar said.
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Dube joins Kohli in elite list
All-rounder Dube smashed 60 off 40 balls in India’s six-wicket win over Afghanistan in the 1st T20I at Mohali. Dube was named the Player of the Match for his heroics at the time. In the 2nd T20I, Dube registered his second successive half-century to help India take an unassailable 2-0 lead over the visitors. Dube also became the seventh Indian player to take a wicket and score a half-century in the same match. He has joined Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh in the elite list.
‘He is not trying to copy anyone now’
“After these two games, I think he now feels that he belongs at the international level. He has got the appreciation and respect of his teammates because he put in two absolutely wonderful performances. I think he is just a lot more comfortable about his own game. He knows his own game better. He is not trying to copy anyone now. He is saying, This is what I can do and what I bring to the table,” Gavaskar added.