“I learned it from Mahi bhai” – Shivam Dube on playing finisher’s role in 1st IND vs AFG T20I

Indian batter Shivam Dube revealed that he learned the art of finishing from former Indian skipper MS Dhoni while playing with him in the Indian Premier League for Chennai Super Kings. Dube played a match-winning knock of 60 runs off just 40 balls in the opening game of the series against Afghanistan at the IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali on Thursday.

The left-hander scored five fours and two sixes and scored his runs at an impressive strike rate of 150. Dube is well known to muscle the ball and he did that with great success in the middle overs against the visitors.

Meanwhile, Dube had a stellar run in IPL 2023 for CSK, scoring 418 runs in 14 innings at an impressive average of 38 and a strike rate of 158.33. Ergo, he played a key role in taking the MS Dhoni-led team to glory in the previous season.

“It felt very good to get a good opportunity. I was keeping myself ready to not miss an opportunity. When I came to bat, I wanted to finish the match. I learned it from Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni), I wanted to finish the match well,” Dube told JioCinema after the match.

“I always keep talking to Mahi bhai. He is such a big legend. I always keep learning from him, by seeing him and observing him. He has told me a couple of things about my game. He always rates me, saying I play well. If he rates me, then that gives me motivation to keep playing well, because of which my confidence is very high,” Dube said.

The attacking left-hander scored his second T20I fifty and said it was special to play a key role in the team’s win. Furthermore, Dube accounted for Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran and conceded only nine runs in the two overs he bowled.

“It’s very special because I came into the Indian team after a long time and got an opportunity. It was very important especially because when you chase, a batter’s thinking in T20s is always to finish the game. I finished the game for the team, so felt really good,” the batter said in a video on bcci.tv.

The second T20I between India and Afghanistan will be played at Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore on Sunday.