India all-rounder Shivam Dube, who played a key role in the recent Asia Cup 2025 win was expected to play in the upcoming Ranji Trophy 2025/26 season. However, he has now been ruled out of Mumbai’s season opener against Jammu and Kashmir, starting tomorrow (October 15).
It is understood that Dube had travelled with the team but suffered back stiffness in the cold weather of Srinagar and has subsequently flown back to Mumbai earlier today (October 14).
A source privy to the developments was quoted as saying by Indian Express, “He flew with the team but due to cold weather he suffered back stiffness. The team medical team advised him to rest, so he flew back to Mumbai on Tuesday.”
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While Shivam Dube has already made his white-ball debut for India across both ODIs and T20Is, he is yet to earn his maiden Test cap for the country.
Furthermore, India needs a seam-bowling all-rounder in the red-ball setup with Nitish Kumar Reddy being the only option as premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya focussed in white-ball due to injury concerns.
While Nitish is a good option for overseas, Shivam can be used in home conditions given he can hit the deck hard and extract pace and bounce off the pitch. Furthermore, Shivam Dube is a good player of spin, which will be a big advantage when it comes to games in the subcontinent conditions.
The 32-year-old also has impeccable FC numbers with 1541 runs in 25 matches at an impressive average of 44.02, including four centuries and nine fifties. With the ball as well, he has snared 58 wickets with one four-fer and three five-wicket hauls with a best figure of 7/53.
Thus, with seam bowling all rounders being the need of the hour, Shivam Dube, who is touted as T20 specialist, can put himself in the reckoning for a possible Test debut with promising displays in the Ranji Trophy.
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