Former Indian opening batter and commentator Aakash Chopra has said Indian all-rounder Shivam Dube doesn’t get enough credit for his batting, highlighting his important contributions in major finals.
For the unversed, Dube smacked 27 runs off 15 balls with two fours and as many sixes in the Gold Medal clash against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin on Saturday, October 3.
Further, Dube scored 27 off 16 in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa and an unbeaten 26 off eight balls in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand. Subsequently, he also scored 33 off 22 in the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan.
Speaking in a conversation on Cricinfo, Chopra asserted that Dube has an exceptional skill to hit sixes and take down spinners for fun. He went on to add that Dube allows the team to plan accordingly whenever spinners are likely to dominate.
“I think he doesn’t get enough credit. He’s got an exceptional skill and quality to hit sixes. He takes down spinners for fun. He also allows team to now plan accordingly as far as their batting resources are concerned. Something that India did throughout the 2026 World Cup-winning campaign,” Chopra said on Cricinfo.
“If there is a period where spinners are likely to dominate, you throw him in and he’ll take them apart. And to do that in big games, finals, World Cup finals, it takes some doing. It is exceptional and he should be applauded a little more,” he added.
Additionally, Chopra heaped praise on middle-order batter Tilak Varma, who changed the game upside down with his unbeaten 51 off 22 in the death overs as India managed to post 211/6 in 20 overs.
“He [Varma] is getting the knack of getting the better of Pakistan. Asia Cup comes to your mind. Tricky run chase, he was there till the end. Guided the team home on a slightly tough pitch. Here, he didn’t really start with a bang. I think there was a period where India didn’t really get a boundary. Then he exploded and took the team to a total which was eventually defendable,” he concluded.
