Should Shivam Dube be in India's 2024 T20 World Cup squad?  

Shivam Dube's recent performance has sparked discussions about his potential inclusion in India's 2024 T20 World Cup squad.

Dube showcased his all-round abilities, contributing with both the bat and the ball in the first T20I against Afghanistan. In the recently concluded game in Mohali, Dube filled Hardik Pandya's slot, who was ruled out of the series due to an injury.

As a result, skipper Rohit Sharma tried to sneak in some overs from Dube as well. The medium-pace bowler dished out two tight overs, in which he took the prized wicket of Ibrahim Zadran as well.

Despite giving some room on a couple of balls, Dube consistently hit the right length and returned with a miserly figure of 1/9.

As India restricted Afghanistan to 158/5, Dube's contributions were further needed when the hosts lost both Rohit Sharma (0) and Shubman Gill (23) inside four overs. Dube came to bat at number four and built a much-needed 44-run stand with Tilak Varma (26).

Making six runs off his first nine balls, Dube took his time to settle into his innings. However, after the powerplay, he took on the Afghan bowlers.

The left-hander exhibited the free-flowing nature of his hitting abilities and struck five boundaries and two huge sixes en route to his unbeaten innings.

In the 17th over, Dube completed his second T20I fifty in just 38 balls before walloping Naveen-ul-Haq for a six and a four in the next over to win India the game by six wickets.

It was a delight to watch Dube keep his strike rate in check and get involved in three different 40-run plus partnerships in the run-chase. The 30-year-old deservingly won the Player of the Match award for his all-round efforts.

Dube's performance in Mohali has seen him earn praise from all sections of Indian cricket fans, including various pundits and experts.

Former players including Suresh Raina, Aakash Chopra, and Irrfan Pathan have even likened the prospect of Dube being included in the Indian plans for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The mega event is scheduled to take place in the U.S.A. and the West Indies in June 2024.

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Has Shivam Dube been consistent enough to earn a place in the T20 World Cup?

IPL 2023: Qualifier 1 - Gujarat Titans v Chennai Super Kings

While Dube was influential on Thursday, has he been dishing out similar performances regularly to stake his claim in the T20 World Cup squad? Well, the answer is somewhat yes.

Finding great middle-order batters who can tonk long sixes with five fielders outside the inner circle can be a serious task for any T20 side. However, it looks like Team India have found multiple players for that role.

While Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya are irreplaceable in the side, the meteoric rise of Rinku Singh has ended India's search for a proper finisher.

Now, the Men in Blue can even eye Dube, who has been playing his best T20 cricket in his career. Since his move to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in 2022, the southpaw has elevated his game.

The five-time champions have often used Dube as an enforcer against spin in the middle phase of an innings and the strategy has done wonders for them. In IPL 2023, Dube broke the record for hitting the joint-most sixes as a CSK player in a single IPL season.

With his 35 sixes across the tournament, he joined Shane Watson on the tally, who also hit 35 maximums in 2018.

In fact, no other Indian batter has hit more than Dube's 51 IPL maximums since 2022. In the same period, Dube has struck at a rate of 157.46 in the league, which is second-best among Indians after Suryakumar Yadav's 167.53.

Shivam Dube for Chennai Super Kings

Dube wields a power-hitting bat, capable of effortlessly launching deliveries out of the park. This game-changing attribute is particularly invaluable in the middle overs, where quick bursts of momentum can turn the tide of any T20 match.

Having said that, just like every other batter, Dube also seems to have his limitations, being vulnerable against express pace and bounce, as well as struggling against wide-line yorkers.

His phenomenal performances in the last two years, however, should have been enough to make him permanent in the Indian T20 side. However, he has massively underbowled in the meantime.

In fact, he didn't bowl a single over at the IPL 2023 after delivering just two overs in the previous edition. Even in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2023 for Mumbai, he bowled just four overs, accounting for a solitary wicket.

For Dube to be a certainty in the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup 2024, he needs to not only continue his stellar form but roll his arm over more often. If Dube develops himself into a reliable bowler for two or three overs per game, his value and utility in a T20 side can soar exponentially.

Given Dube's track record in the format and the endorsements from former cricketers, there is a growing sentiment in favour of including him in India's 2024 T20 World Cup squad.

If the Mumbai-born lad continues to rack up similar numbers in the upcoming two T20Is and for CSK, he should definitely be considered a middle-order batter and a back-up medium-pace all-round option for the T20 World Cup.