Shivam Dube acknowledged the impact of former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on his game after the left-hander’s 95 not out helped Chennai Super Kings beat Royal Challengers Bangalore to register their maiden victory in the ongoing IPL 2022 on Tuesday.
Sent into bat first, CSK rode on Dube’s unbeaten knock and a brilliant 88 off 50 balls from Robin Uthappa to post 216/4 in 20 overs. In reply, Maheesh Theekshana and Ravindra Jadeja combined for seven wickets to restrict RCB to 193/9.
“I am really happy that I contributed to the team. It's a honour for me. I am more focused this time and focusing on basics,” Dube, a former Rajasthan Royals batter said after the game. Dube, who made his IPL debut in 2019, hasn’t been able to flourish as he would have liked in the past three seasons.
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In the process, Dube and Uthappa's stand of 165 runs from 74 balls also broke a 10-year old record for the highest third-wicket partnership in the IPL. The previous highest third-wicket stand was 157 runs between Kumar Sangakkara and Cameron White for Deccan Chargers against Pune Warriors India in 2012.
Dube, who was bought by CSK for Rs 4 crore at the IPL 2022 Mega Auction, has repaid the franchise’s faith this season and is one of the batting mainstays in the Chennai Super Kings middle order.
In the five matches he played this season, Dube has so far accumulated 207 runs and admits the presence of former skipper Dhoni has left a great impact on his game. “I spoke to many seniors - Mahi bhai also helped me to improve the game,” Dube explained.
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“He (Dhoni) said, ‘Just be focused, just be still, just let the skill work in the game.’ I wanted to time the ball really well. I tried to maintain my balance..,” added the Mumbai batter, whose last India appearance came in 2020 against New Zealand in a T20 international.
“Yuvi pa (Yuvraj Singh) is always a role model for a left-hander. Many people told me that I bat like him. As the situation demands, as the captain and coach tell me, I am ready to bat anywhere.” Chennai Super Kings will next take on Gujarat Titans on Sunday.
Uthappa also revealed the plan he and Dube discussed while pummelling the RCB bowlers in the middle. “I just allowed him (Dube) to get in and get set. He has been hitting the ball well, I made sure to build a partnership with him,” Uthappa continued.
“When Maxwell came in to bowl his third over, I felt it was the time to take him on even though it was the bigger boundary. An off-spinner bowling, so I decided to take him on. When the spinners were bowling, I tried to feed him (Dube) as much strike as possible, and when the pacers were back on, I told him to give me the strike back,” added Uthappa.
