Shivam Dube has improved massively as a bowler. Image Credits: APFew players have received as much backing as Shivam Dube under Gautam Gambhir’s management. Dube has literally played as an all-rounder, with ample bowling opportunities in almost every game.As a player, he has been tasked with a variety of roles, and to his credit, he has actually aced most of them. Dube has often overcome his limitations to make useful contributions for India, particularly under this management.How India have used Shivam Dube’s bowling excessivelyShivam Dube's bowling performance in T20IsSince Gautam Gambhir took over as India’s head coach, Shivam Dube has received far more opportunities with the ball. This comes at a time when even his IPL franchise, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), barely trust him as a bowler.Since July 2024, Dube has bowled 66.3 overs across 31 innings in 48 T20Is. He has taken 30 wickets at an average of 21.73, although his economy rate remains high at 9.80. He has completed his quota on three occasions and bowled three overs in eight other matches. On average, he has bowled 2.13 overs per innings.The contrast with his usage for CSK is stark. In the same period, Dube has bowled just seven overs in 27 IPL matches. He has taken one wicket in those seven overs while conceding 13.85 runs per over. The difference is striking, both in terms of workload and returns.CSK clearly do not view Dube as a frontline bowling option. They have often used him as an impact player whose primary role is to bat and provide power in the middle order. India, on the other hand, have shown far greater willingness to use him in different phases, including the powerplay and death overs, rather than restricting him to the middle overs when the field is spread, and batters are generally less aggressive.The Asia Cup 2025 final was a good example. After Hardik Pandya was ruled out with a quadriceps injury, India could have brought in Arshdeep Singh or Harshit Rana to add greater bowling depth. Instead, they trusted Dube with two overs in the powerplay, with Jasprit Bumrah operating from the other end.He has also been used in the slog overs on several occasions. One notable example came in the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final against England, when India opted not to take the risk of using a spinner while Jacob Bethell was still at the crease.Also Read: How Shivam Dube Is Silently Emerging As India's Secret Weapon For World Cup 2027The extent of the change becomes even clearer when Dube's numbers before the current management are considered. From his T20I debut until the end of the previous regime, he bowled only 37.3 overs across 20 innings in 29 T20Is. He took eight wickets at an average of 46.37 and an economy rate of 9.89, averaging just 1.86 overs per innings.The thinking behind his limited usage was understandable. Dube had clear limitations as a bowler and was not someone India could reliably bank on for a full spell. When he first broke into the international side, he was also a far less developed cricketer overall, with his bowling largely serving as a supplementary option rather than a genuine part of his skill set.Improvements as a bowlerAs the team management has trusted him more and more with the ball, Shivam Dube has also tried to punch above his weight, even if the results have not always followed. Despite his obvious limitations as a bowler, the all-rounder has shown impressive bowling awareness and worked intelligently around his strengths.One notable change has been his willingness to bend his back and hit the deck harder, often bowling a back-of-a-length delivery to generate extra bounce. With the new ball, meanwhile, Dube has shown a greater willingness to go fuller and look for early movement.The Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan was a good example. When Dube was entrusted with the new ball, he bowled slightly fuller and found some movement under the lights. The extra bounce also gave him good carry through to the wicketkeeper. When he returned for another over later in the innings, Dube again showed his bowling awareness. He deliberately bowled short to prevent Fakhar Zaman from attempting a scoop before angling the ball away from Saim Ayub.Sony Sports Network @SonySportsNetwk With two big strikes, Shivam Pakistan batting ko le Dube 🤭 Watch the Asia Cup, Sept 9-28, 7 PM onwards, LIVE on the Sony Sports Network TV channels & Sony LIV. #SonySportsNetwork #INDvPAK Sep 22, 2025, 1:10 AM He produced a similar moment against Australia later that year, bouncing out Tim David with a well-directed short ball into the body. The delivery climbed sharply off the surface and reached David quicker than he anticipated, forcing a late pull that went straight to the extra-cover fielder. The extra bounce was a product of Dube bending his back and hitting the deck hard, even without generating particularly high pace.Dube has therefore slowly developed into a useful operator on surfaces that are not completely flat. That represents a significant upgrade from where he was as a bowler not too long ago. It may also explain why the management has become increasingly willing to use him with the ball, even if they have occasionally pushed that trust a little too far.A chance to increase Shivam Dube’s bowling workloadThe upcoming Asian Games 2026 will present Shreyas Iyer with a perfect opportunity to test Shivam Dube's bowling more extensively. Dube is India's only pace-bowling all-rounder in the squad, with Hardik Pandya injured and Nitish Kumar Reddy shifted to the ODI squad for the West Indies series. This time, India have also not opted for Suryansh Shedge as the other option, as they did on the UK tour.That could force India to use Dube for longer spells in Japan. The conditions are likely to suit him too, with the one-off T20I between India and Japan already offering a glimpse of how the pitches can play. The surfaces are expected to be on the slower side, with the ball not always coming cleanly onto the bat and occasionally stopping or keeping low.Those conditions should suit Dube's style of bowling. Apart from having a useful short ball, he can vary his pace and use cutters into the pitch, making it difficult for batters to hit square of the wicket. His lack of express pace is less of a concern when the surface itself takes some pace away from the ball.Sony Sports Network @SonySportsNetwk A spell that packed a punch. 💥 Shivam Dube struck twice as India continued to dominate with the ball. Watch #IREvIND LIVE NOW on Sony Sports Network TV channels & Sony LIV. #SonySportsNetwork #SonyLIV Jun 28, 2026, 8:00 PM That is not necessarily a bad thing for India. With doubts over Hardik Pandya's fitness and availability, they need someone who can perform the pace-bowling all-rounder's role in T20Is over the next year or so. Nitish could also remain primarily focused on the ODI setup with the 2027 World Cup approaching.India have a packed T20I schedule after the Asian Games, with important assignments against the West Indies at home and New Zealand away. Managing the workloads of Hardik and Nitish could therefore become increasingly important, particularly if India want both available for the bigger assignments. In that scenario, Dube may need to take on greater responsibility as the team's primary pace-bowling all-rounder.Even if Suryansh gets an opportunity, he is not yet as developed a bowler as Dube. The latter has made significant progress with the ball in recent years, and that development has come at an important time for India. The Asian Games could now provide the ideal opportunity to find out just how much they can get from him as a bowler.Also Read: Mohammed Siraj Snub In IND vs WI 1st ODI Leads To Fan Anger
