Talented India all-rounder Shivam Dube has credited legendary Indian captain MS Dhoni for inspiring him to improve his finishing skills after guiding the Indian team to victory in the first T20I against Afghanistan. Dube further added that he keeps learning from Dhoni while playing for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) as well.
However, Shivam Dube was the Player of the Match for scoring 60* off 40 balls as India comfortably beat Afghanistan by six wickets in the first T20I in Mohali on Thursday, January 11. Earlier, he also picked up 1/9 in two overs with the ball. And, India chased a target of 159 in 17.3 overs.
While speaking after the match, the all-rounder opened up on MS Dhoni’s influence in his batting, especially in the finishing role. He also added that he keeps chatting with MS Dhoni and wants to keep learning how to get better at the finishing role as well.
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“It felt very good to get a good opportunity. I was keeping myself ready to not miss an opportunity. When I came to bat, I wanted to finish the match. I learned it from Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni), I wanted to finish the match well,” Dube told JioCinema as quoted as saying by India Today.
“I always keep talking to Mahi bhai. He is such a big legend. I always keep learning from him, by seeing him and observing him. He has told me a couple of things about my game. He always rates me, saying I play well. If he rates me, then that gives me motivation to keep playing well, because of which my confidence is very high,” Shivam Dube again said.
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However, after underperforming for various franchises, the hard-hitting all-rounder finally flourished for CSK under MS Dhoni’s leadership in IPL 2023. He smashed 418 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 158.33 with three half-centuries. Meanwhile, Shivam Dube also registered his second T20I fifty in the match against Afghanistan in Mohali on Thursday.
“It’s very special because I came into the Indian team after a long time and got an opportunity. It was very important especially because when you chase, a batter’s thinking in T20s is always to finish the game. I finished the game for the team, so felt really good,” Shivam Dube said in a video on bcci.tv.
