Former India opener Aakash Chopra lauded Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Shivam Dube and said that the left-hand batter should be there in the Indian squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 following his match-winning performance against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 fixture on Tuesday.
The fortress at Chepauk stood untouched as the CSK registered a comprehensive 63-run win over the GT in the ongoing IPL 2024 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Dube was awarded the Player of the Match for his knock of 51 runs from 23 balls with the help of five sixes and two fours at a strike rate of 221.74.
The former Indian cricketer asserted that the number at which Dube bats (No. 5 or No. 6) there is no Indian batter who slams sixes better than him.
"Although I should talk about Ruturaj Gaikwad as well because he batted well and maturely after getting a life, I am going to go with Shivam Dube.
“How well is he playing? The number at which Shivam Dube bats, around No. 5 or No. 6, is there any Indian who hits sixes better than him?" Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
Chopra further stated that no one has the strength that the left-hander possesses. The southpaw can smash the sixes into the stands while standing inside the crease.
"He hits sixes into the stands while standing in his position. No one has that much strength and no one hits that consistently as well.
“He used to have a problem against short balls but it's not there anymore. I do not see anything lacking at this point in time. Keep him around the T20 World Cup team," the former cricketer added.
In the end, the commentator said that the pitches in Florida, New York, and West Indies are slow and the grounds are big so the Men in Blue needs a powerful hitter like Dube on their side.
"Whether it's the grounds in Florida, New York or the Caribbean, the pitches are slow and the grounds are big. So you need a powerful batter there, which he actually is. So he is going to be in my scheme of things for the World Cup," the 46-year-old concluded.
The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and West Indies begins on June 1.
India will be in action on June 5 when they take on Ireland before attention shifts to the high-octane clash against Pakistan on June 9, both of which will be played at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.
