India’s search for Hardik Pandya’s replacement: Shivam Dube emerges as a potential option | Cricket News

Team management thinks hard-hitting allrounder can be perfect back-up for injury-prone Hardik Pandya
INDORE: Even as India’s search for a player who can offer the same skillset as Hardik Pandya continues, the team is, for now, willing to look at Shivam Dube to do the job.
In the second T20I against Afghanistan here, skipper Rohit asked Dube to bowl the 19th over.While he went for 20 runs, Dube, who finished with 1-36 from three overs, would be better off for the experience. Having lost a significant amount of weight, the tall man has improved his bowling coming into this series. He even took 6/23 in 17 overs for Mumbai against Bihar in a Ranji Trophy match in Patna.
“The selectors and the team management want him to bowl more and more, as that adds immense value to Dube as a player. This is why he is bowling a fair bit during this series. If he can chip in with a few overs with the ball, he can cement his place in the side for the T20 World Cup. He is the ideal back-up to the injury-prone Hardik,” a reliable source in the BCCI told TOI.

Dube’s career has seen an uptick since he started playing under MS Dhoni’s captaincy in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings, who bought him in the IPL auction in 2022. The following 2023 IPL season was a breakaway one for Dube. He played a key role in CSK’s record equalling fifth IPL title win, smashing 418 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 158.33, including 35 sixes, the most by an Indian batter that season.
On Sunday night, Dube again credited Dhoni and the CSK coaching staff for instilling confidence in him. “This credit goes to the CSK team and Mahi bhai. I always had the game, but what CSK did is take out that game from a player,” Dube said.
Dube smashed a 32-ball 63 not out against Afghanistan in Indore to add to the 40-ball 60 not out in Mohali in the first T20I.
Jaiswal and Dube set to earn BCCI contracts soon
The other player who shone with the bat on Sunday, left-hander Yashasvi Jaiswal, was preferred over Shubman Gill. Jaiswal, returning to the side after missing the first match due to a groin injury, showed exactly why he is now a near-certainty for the T20 World Cup as he hammered a 34-ball 68. Both Jaiswal and Dube are set to find their names in the BCCI’s list of contracted India players for the 2023-24 season, it is learnt.