India's star lauds Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid for 'Unwavering Support'

India all-rounder Shivam Dube grabbed a spot in the Men in Blue squad by enhancing his talents while building confidence in the Indian Premier League after an outstanding 2023 and 2024 campaign. The left-handed batter finished the season as the second-highest run scorer for the Chennai Super Kings, with 396 runs, featuring three half-centuries at a blistering strike rate of 162.29. The southpaw was awarded an exclusive place in India's extremely competitive 15-man T20 World Cup 2024 squad owing to his outstanding performance in the cash-rich league.

India's versatile player stayed in the starting eleven throughout the entire tournament and showcased greatness under pressure, as shown by his crucial 27-run innings in the final match against South Africa back on June 29 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. In order to help India defeat the Proteas by six runs and win a second T20 World Cup, the left-handed batter made a crucial 57-run partnership with Virat Kohli (76) to help his side total 176/6. The Mumbai-born cricketer earned 133 runs batting in the lower middle order in eight innings.

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The unwavering support from our captain and coach was incredible: Shivam Dube

The hard-hitting batter spoke exclusively with IANS about the thrill of playing in the USA and the West Indies during the T20 World Cup 2024 and how he succeeded in staying composed in the face of a lot of "heat." Dube commented that he was able to stay engaged owing to the unwavering faith in his abilities possessed by head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma. Though big-hitter Dube had a peak score of 34 and 13 runs in eight matches, he failed to be a major factor at the bat during the T20 World Cup 2024. However, he proved his worth when it really counted. His final-day cameo of 27 off of 16 balls proved crucial to India's glory.

"The unwavering support from our captain and coach was incredible. They constantly backed me, encouraging me to stay positive and keep working hard. Their faith in my abilities and their guidance helped me stay focused and believe in myself. This experience has made me stronger and more determined to improve and contribute to the team’s success in the future," Shivam Dube said on IANS.

Meanwhile, Shivam Dube's recent performance against Zimbabwe just strengthened his ability to perform even better. He was named Man of the Match in the fifth T20I against ZIM in Harare owing to his explosive 26 runs off 12 balls and two wickets while only conceding 25 runs. 

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