Being an all-rounder I need to stay a lot fitter: Shivam Dube

Mumbai all-rounder Shivam Dube finally got a national call-up after a string of consistent performances both in domestic cricket as well as for India A during the recently concluded three-match T20I series against Bangladesh. The swashbuckling left-handed batsman, Dube, couldn’t have wished for a worse debut than the one he endured against the Asian Tigers at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in the national capital. Dube could only manage a solitary run as India succumbed to their maiden T20I loss against Bangladesh in their ninth encounter.

But, Dube redeemed himself brilliantly in the final T20I, this time with the ball. With him playing as the fifth bowler, the right-handed bowler bowled a game-changing second spell during which claimed the wickets of Mohammad Naim (81), Mushfiqur Rahim (0) and Afif Hossain (0). Dube has now been included in the one-day squad for the upcoming series against the West Indies.

Shivam Dube focussed on getting better in every facet

But, despite all the opportunities and accolades (Read: comparisons with Yuvraj Singh’s bat lift), the all-rounder isn’t getting ahead of himself and knows exactly where he needs to improve if he has to mark for himself at the highest level. According to Dube, the all-rounder needs to work on his fitness and enhance his skills in all three facets. 

“Being an all-rounder I need to stay a lot fitter. So I have ensured that I put in the hard hours to maintain my fitness and I have always tried to enhance my skills as an all-rounder. I would like to believe that when I am batting I can compete with the best of bowlers and similarly while I am bowling, I would want to believe that I compete with the best of batsmen,” Dube said as quoted by Sportstar.

The 26-year-old is currently featuring for Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament and has played impactful cameos for his side thus far. Dube also went on to dwell on his routine, where he mentioned that when he is not playing any tournament, he works on his bowling while if he is amidst a series, he works in honing his overall skills.

“When I am not playing a tournament or a match, I focus on my bowling. But if I am in between a tournament or a match, I concentrate on the skills that I have and try and improve upon it. Sure, it gets difficult sometimes as an all-rounder because I have to spread my time between bowling and batting but I try and do my best,” Dube added.

The white-ball series against the West Indies will be very crucial for Dube, as he aims to lay claim to the all-rounder’s spot in the absence of Hardik Pandya, who continues to recover from his back injury.