'Mahi bhai had told me that...' - Shivam Dube reflects upon MS Dhoni's impact after his match winning innings against Netherlands in T20 World Cup 2026

In T20 World Cup 2026, India cricketer Shivam Dube made an impact by scoring 66 off 31 balls to help India post a score of 193/6 against Netherlands in Ahmedabad. Dube came into bat with pressure on him however, he reacted to it by batting aggressively and hitting the ball consistently far which changed the momentum of the game and also revived the innings giving India a competitive total. He also cemented his place as a reliable middle order player through this performance.

Upon receiving his Player of the Match trophy, Dube credited his former CSK captain, MS Dhoni, for helping him learn how to manage short balls throughout the IPL, which he struggled to hit properly. He explained that he used to try to hit bounce balls with power instead of finding the timing and often failing to make contact. However, Dhoni provided him with assistance about the mental aspect of batting rather than making any swing modifications, which increased his confidence in the area of short-pitched balls and made a weakness into a scoring opportunity.

“There was a time when I came to IPL, I was struggling a bit against short balls, at that time I was not able to hit them so cleanly, but then I realized that if I have to dominate at this level and I have that power, then why should I lag because of one thing, so I worked a lot on that thing during the off season. Mahi bhai had told me that it is not necessary that you have to hit a six on that ball, you can hit a boundary or take a single, so that thing was always in my mind that when I come in at the start,” Dube said.

See Also: India defeat Netherlands by 17 runs in thrilling T20 World Cup 2026 Group A clash

Shivam Dube was chosen POTM for his brilliant all round performance

After choosing to bat first at the Narendra Modi Stadium, India endured an early setback as Abhishek Sharma recorded his third duck of the tournament while Aryan Dutt spearheaded a disciplined powerplay spell. Shivam Dube began cautiously, managing only six runs from his first eleven balls and even surviving a tight lbw appeal. He soon shifted gears, attacking the spinners and punishing predictable variations in pace, dismantling the bowling attack. His fifty arrived off just twenty-five deliveries, highlighted by four boundaries and six towering sixes that completely changed the momentum firmly in India’s favor during the middle overs phase decisively.

Partnering with Hardik Pandya, he added vital acceleration as the pair stitched a 119-run stand in the final ten overs, including seventy-five runs in the last five alone. Dube eventually fell in the nineteenth over, but the damage was already done. He also made an impact with the ball, claiming two wickets to dent Netherlands hopes. Despite a spirited chase and late resistance that carried them to 176 for seven, the opposition fell short as the side sealed a 17-run win, extending their unbeaten run in the competition with another commanding performance. The victory strengthened their dominance further overall today.