Shivam Dube offers massive respect to Gautam Gambhir (PC-x.com)
Under the astute leadership of Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir, Team India scripted history at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on Sunday by bagging two successive T20 World Cups.
As it turned out, Gambhir's mantra of playing many all-rounders worked well to perfection. India fielded three all-rounders in Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel in their Playing XI, which paid off as the trio gave a lot of balance to the team during the tournament.
After the final in Ahmedabad against New Zealand, Shivam Dube's emotions peaked while celebrating with Team India. As the whole team was hugging each other in the after-minutes, the burly all-rounder lifted the head coach as a gesture of respect.
Shivam Dube lifts Gautam Gambhir in celebration
Time and again, Shivam Dube played sensational cameos down the order, which helped India pose a great challenge to the opposition in the Group stage and Super 8s, and then in the semifinal and final as well. In the 2026 T20 World Cup, the Mumbaikar scored 235 runs in 8 matches, at a staggering strike rate of 169.
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At one stage, India were in a solid position when Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan were on song, but Jimmy Neesham's three-wicket over brought the Kiwis back in the hut. However, Dube's unbeaten 26 off just eight balls stole the momentum back and helped India finish on a high with 255/5 on the board.
Shivam Dube gives RoKo deju to India fans
As Shivam Dube lifted Gautam Gambhir, it became a deju moment for the India fans. The same happened after the 2024 T20 World Cup, when Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli lifted the then-head coach Rahul Dravid after India won its first ICC title in 11 years.
After losing the 2023 ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad, Rahul Dravid was given an extension after a phone call from Rohit Sharma changed his mind. Since winning the silverware in 2024, India have won two more ICC trophies - the Champions Trophy and T20 World Cup - in two years under Gautam Gambhir's coaching.
Interestingly, Shivam Dube was added to the Indian squad as a late entry for the 2024 event. The Mumbaikar didn't do much in that tournament, until his match-turning 16-ball 27 in the final against South Africa in Barbados.
Since then, Dube has been a key member in the Indian T20I contingent, playing lethal knocks down the order and being a potent option against spin.
Shivam Dube to be X-Factor for CSK in IPL 2026
The 32-year-old Shivam Dube was retained for INR 12 crore by the five-time IPL champions, Chennai Super Kings. Since joining the Yellow Army in 2022, the all-rounder has reinvented himself while playing as a reliable middle-order batter.
Dube's best came in IPL 2023, when he scored 418 runs at 158.33, as CSK won its fifth title and became the joint-most successful franchise in the league.
The all-rounder will be a core player for the franchise alongside MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, and Dewald Brevis. He will be eager to help CSK transform after finishing at the bottom of the table last year.
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