"Don Dube is now back" - Fans react as Shivam Dube returns to India's playing XI for 1st T20I vs Ireland

Shivam Dube returned to the Indian playing XI after a three-year in the first T20I against Ireland at The Village in Dublin on Friday, August 18.

The all-rounder's previous T20I appearance came against New Zealand in February 2020. It was a forgettable outing for him as he conceded 34 runs in a single over and was dismissed for just five runs.

Shivam Dube impressed many with his swashbuckling batting for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL 2023). The all-rounder played a big role in CSK's IPL 2023 triumph, amassing 418 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 158.33. He was rewarded by getting a call-up for the Ireland series.

Following the announcement of the playing XI, several fans took to social media to express their excitement over the southpaw's inclusion. Here are some of the best reactions:

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India elect to bowl first in 1st T20I vs Ireland

Indian skipper Jasprit Bumrah won the toss and chose to field first in the opening encounter of the three-match T20I series against Ireland.

Prasidh Krishan and Rinku Singh have been handed their T20I debuts in the contest. Speaking at the toss Bumrah said:

"We'll bowl first, very happy to be here. The weather looks lovely. I feel good, looking forward to play some cricket. You realise what you were missing, very happy to be back. We expect nothing short of a fight from Ireland. As a fast bowler, I hope the pitch does something."

Here are the two playing XIs for the 1st T20I:

India: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson(w), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah(c), and Ravi Bishnoi.

Ireland: Paul Stirling(c), Andrew Balbirnie, Lorcan Tucker(w), Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Craig Young, Joshua Little, and Benjamin White.