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Shivam Dube starred with the bat as India beat Afghanistan by six wickets at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Thursday, January 11.
The left-handed batter smashed an unbeaten 60 runs off 40 balls at a strike rate of 150, including two sixes and five boundaries, to take the hosts past the finish line. The all-rounder also dismissed Afghanistan opener Ibrahim Zadran, finishing with 1/9 in his two overs.
Dube had recently played two innings for India at the 2023 Asian Games and the T20I versus Ireland, returning with 25* and 22*, respectively. The medium pacer also bagged one wicket against Afghanistan in the Asian Games final.
Dube’s resurgence in international cricket comes after his exploits for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League. The 30-year-old had amassed 411 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 159.92, including three half-centuries in IPL 2023.
Fans on X (formerly Twitter) lauded Shivam Dube for his match-winning half-century in the opening T20I versus Afghanistan. One user wrote:
“A comeback to remember”
Here are some more reactions:
“I got the opportunity and I executed” – Shivam Dube
Shivam Dube was delighted to grab the opportunity with both hands in the absence of injured all-rounder Hardik Pandya. He said in the post-match show:
“It was really cold. I enjoyed playing on this ground, There was some pressure. I had one thing on my mind - I had to play my game. First 2-3 balls, I feel some pressure, after that, I focus on the ball. I know I can hit big sixes. Bowling, I got the opportunity and I executed.”
In the match, Afghanistan posted 158/5 in their allotted 20 overs. Mohammad Nabi starred with the bat, scoring 42 runs off 27 balls, hitting three sixes and two boundaries. Meanwhile, Mukesh Kumar and Axar Patel bagged two wickets apiece for India.
In response, the hosts chased down the target with 15 balls to spare. Apart from Dube, Jitesh Sharma, Tilak Varma, and Shubman Gill chipped in with scores of 31 (20), 26 (22), and 23 (12), respectively. Rinku Singh stayed unbeaten on 16 off nine deliveries, including two boundaries.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman emerged as the pick of the Afghanistan bowlers, with 2/21, while Azmatullah Omarzai bagged one wicket.
With the win, the Men in Blue have taken a 1-0 lead against Afghanistan in the three-match T20I series. The action will now shift to Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore for the second T20I on Sunday, January 14.
