Former India player Gautam Gambhir feels that all-rounder Shivam Dube should have been in the 2023 Asia Cup squad as a backup for Hardik Pandya. Shivam Dube is currently part of the Indian squad that is playing in Ireland for a three-match T20I series. He returned after three years on the back of his exploits for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL). He scored 418 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 158.33 as well.
Gautam Gambhir said on Star Sports, “One name they (the select should have definitely considered is Shivam Dube because of the kind of form he is in. You need a backup for Hardik Pandya. Shardul Thakur can’t be that. Shardul Thakur cannot be Hardik’s backup. No, I don’t think so. We have seen Shivam Dube. He would’ve been scoring in T20s but this is entirely format and a different tournament. With due respect to Gautam, this is my view. Shivam Dube has struggled with the ball and also in the field.”
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However, Shivam Dube scored an unbeaten 22 in the second T20I against Ireland and he has even bowled a couple of overs in the series so far as well. Gautam Gambhir also stated that Team India’s bowling attack is rather one-dimensional because of the lack of an extra wrist spinner as well.
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“It’s a decent squad, according to me a nice squad is picked, but somewhere a wrist spinner is needed. It’s a seam-heavy squad and I believe either Ravi Bishnoi or Yuzvendra Chahal should have been picked because of conditions, when you are playing in India it’s important to keep two wrist spinners in the squad. Somewhere it’s a one-dimensional attack, two left-arm spinners, one wrist spinner and other pacers, it’s a seam-heavy attack (four-seamers). I think it’s a place where they could do better if they have selected one out of either leg-spinner. I believe you could give a break to Mohammad Shami and the form in which Prasidh Krishna is, you could pick a wrist spinner,” Gautam Gambhir concluded.
