Fans were left smiling after an amusing moment involving Shivam Dube in the 5th and final T20 match between India and South Africa in Ahmedabad. As Dube was ready to walk out to bat, a young kid asked him for an autograph. In a video shared on X, Dube was seen sitting in the dugout with his pads on and politely gesturing to the kid that he would give the autograph later.

The timing of the request made fans laugh, as Dube was fully focused on the game and about to go in to bat. Still, the moment showed the growing popularity of the all-rounder among young fans. Dube kept his calm and acknowledged the request without losing his match focus.

On the field, Dube had a very short but useful contribution. He came in to bat in the final over of India’s innings and faced only three balls. However, he scored 10 quick runs, including a four and a six, helping India post a big total of 231/5.

Match Result and Dube’s World Cup Chance

South Africa started the chase well with a 69-run opening partnership between Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks. De Kock then added another 51 runs with Dewald Brevis, but his dismissal for 65 changed the match. After that, the remaining South African batters failed to keep up the scoring, and India won the match by 30 runs to take the series 3-1.

Watch the video here 

𝗖𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲: 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 😡

In the India vs South Africa match, Shivam Dube was fully padded up, sitting there, ready to walk in to bat.
And then a small kid starts 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘆, “𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘮 𝘋𝘶𝘣𝘦…… pic.twitter.com/crQJUT8NJ5

— Jara (@JARA_Memer) December 19, 2025

See Also: BCCI explains why Axar Patel was named vice-captain for T20 World Cup 2026 after Shubman Gill snub

Hardik Pandya was named as Player of the Match for his all-round performance, where he scored 63 runs and took one wicket. Currently, Dube is also a very strong contender for a spot in the ICC T20 World Cup Squad of 2026. He is a 32-year-old player who has impressed with his power-hitting skills as well as his seam bowling.

Dube was also part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad in 2024 and played an important role in the final, scoring 27 off 16 balls as India beat South Africa by six runs. India will next play a five-match T20I series against New Zealand starting January 21. The Men in Blue will begin their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign on February 7 against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

India Squad for T20 World Cup 2026

Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (Vice-Captain), Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.

In reply to India’s 231 in the first innings of the fifth T20I of the five-match series between India and South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, South Africa made a brutal start in their chase as Quinton De Kock celebrated his 50 in just 30 deliveries. The Proteas took on all the Indian bowlers and managed to put pressure on them.

Something very special was needed from India to break the opening partnership, and Shivam Dube provided them with the same thing. On the third delivery of the seventh over, Reeza Hendricks flicked Varun Chakravarthy into the leg side, where Dube ran to his left and plunked it out of thin air with his left hand.

See Also: Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant omitted? Delhi announce squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2025/26

It was a superb catch from the Indian all-rounder, who was not in control while taking the catch. Hendricks’s struggling knock off 13 runs in 12 deliveries ended, which was decorated with only one boundary. South Africa ended with 99/1 in nine overs to get the perfect start in the chase.

Shivam Dube’s one-handed spectacular catch goes viral

Earlier in the game, India made a massive score of 231 in their allotted 20 overs thanks to Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya’s 104-run partnership in just 44 deliveries for the fourth wicket, which provided them the platform for the massive score. The latter smashed 63 runs in 25 balls at a strike rate of 252 with the help of five boundaries and five sixes.

Watch the video here: 

𝗜. 𝗖. 𝗬. 𝗠. 𝗜

Need a wicket? Call Varun Chakaravarthy 😎

Shivam Dube with a brilliant catch as #TeamIndia have the 1⃣st wicket 🙌

Updates ▶️ https://t.co/kw4LKLNSl3#INDvSA | @IamShivamDube | @chakaravarthy29 | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/WrDU6bI0uh

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 19, 2025

Meanwhile, Tilak nailed 70 runs in just 42 deliveries at a strike rate of 173.81 with the help of ten boundaries and one six. Even their opening batters, Sanju Samson and Abhisek Sharma, were exceptional in their respective 30+ run knocks at a strike rate of more than 160.

The message was clear from the dressing room as all the batters went hard from the very first delivery of their innings. India had already taken an unassailable lead of 2-1 in the series after their victories in Cuttack and Dharamshala, following a defeat in New Chandigarh.  

India’s premier all-rounder, Axar Patel, has revealed that the dressing room’s message was to take the game deep during the fourth T20I of the five-match series against Australia at the Carra Oval in Gold Coast. The left-handed batter has smashed 21 unbeaten runs in 11 balls with the help of one boundary and one six in the last over to breach the 160-run mark for the Blue Brigade.

With the ball, the left-arm spinner picked up two wickets for 20 runs in four overs at an economy rate of five. During the post-match interview with BCCI TV, Axar revealed how he used the angle with the bat to create pressure on the home batters in the interaction with Shivam Dube. 

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“Obviously I knew it was tough because wickets were falling back to back. The message that I got from the dressing room was to take it to the last over because there weren't any batsmen after me. So I thought I would take a chance in the last over. The side boundaries were big but I thought if I could hold my shape and watch the ball, I could clear them.” Axar expressed in a video with all-rounder Dube as the BCCI posted on social media.

Watch: Axar Patel shares dressing room of India post 4th T20I victory vs Australia

In the chase, Australia were bundled out for just 119 runs. Axar, Washington Sundar, and Varun Chakravarthy shared combined figures of 6/49 in 9.2 overs.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Team India (@indiancricketteam)

“I have felt in the past that if I think about the size of the boundary and don't hit towards those sides, they become predetermined shots and because of that we make mistakes. I learnt from past mistakes and played my shots here.” Axar shed light.

“I'm never ready to take a review. But when the ball hit (his pads) this time, I think it stayed low. And the kind of action that I have, I bowl a little wide off the crease. So I always feel that the ball will hit outside the wicket or go from an angle. But in this I knew that the ball was hitting and (although) it could have been a little outside the off stump, we could take a chance on umpire's call.” The left-arm spinner addressed.

When India posted 167/8 in the first innings during the fourth T20I of the five-match series against Australia at the Carra Oval in Gold Coast, many thought it would be hard for the visitors to put pressure and defend the score against the home side. But once the ball got old, batting was incredibly tough to achieve proper timing with the bat, and that was what the Suryakumar Yadav-led side kept in mind. 

Matthew Short smashed Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakravarthy for two sixes inside the powerplay, besides two boundaries. But the question is whether the Indian spinners could inspire them to make a strong comeback. Just like the visitors’ middle order, Australia had the same fate as they were reduced to 70/3 in the 10th over.

See Also: [WATCH] Axar Patel draws first blood with Matthew Short's wicket during AUS vs IND 4th T20I

The only man who could turn the game in a blink of an eye was Tim David, who smashed Shivam Dube for a massive six out of the ground and was fresh from his blistering half-century in the previous game. But the bowler had the last laugh with the wicket of the right-handed batter.

Watch: Shivam Dube collects massive wicket of Tim David during AUS vs IND Gold Coast T20I

It was a slower ball from Dube towards David as the ball was late on pulling the short ball, and he got the ball high in the air. It surprised the veteran as it zipped through off the surface and got high on the bat to balloon it to the extra cover region.

- What a delivery that was to get the wicket of the big Man Tim David.

- Well bowled Shivam Dube 👏👏#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/o53pdFrpFO

— Criclytics (@Criclytics_1) November 6, 2025

After the wicket of David, Australia lost Josh Phillipe to the bowling of Arshdeep, while on the last ball of his spell, Varun Chakravarthy collected the massive wicket of Glenn Maxwell, who could have been a little smarter in the process. Australia found themselves 103/6 in 15 overs.

India, in the first innings, recorded 167/8 in their allotted 20 overs after Shubman Gill drilled 46 runs along with Abhishek Sharma’s 28 runs. Axar Patel’s cameo of unbeaten 21 runs in 11 balls was important to shoulder the visitors over the 160-run mark.

Australia skipper Mitchell Marsh introduced the right bowler against Shivam Dube. For the Australia vs India 4th T20I (AUS vs IND 4th T20I), the Indian team management sent Dube out in the park as the number 3 batter, which was his unusual position. The all-rounder was just about to settle down on the track when Australian pacer Nathan Ellis dismantled the timbers with a slower delivery. 

Just a few balls ago, before losing the wicket, Dube smashed spinner Adam Zampa for the six. The ball went out of the stadium. But as soon as Marsh put Nathan Ellis, a pacer, into the attack, the left-handed all-rounder was exposed. 

During the third ball of the 12th over of the first innings, Ellis took off most of the pace from the delivery and guided it towards the leg stump. Dube tried to push the ball towards the leg side, using the pace, but he proved absolutely wrong as the ball had barely any pace and hardly enough room for the southpaw to use his wrists. The ball sneaks past the inside edge, clips him on the thigh pad of the back leg and deflects onto the stumps. Dube heads back to the dugout after scoring 22 from 18 balls.

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Shivam Dube clean bowled in AUS vs IND 4th T20I 

With Abhishek Sharma (28) and Shubman Gill, Team India got a flying start at the Heritage Bank Stadium. Both of the batters played some aggressive shots to set a foundation for a big score. In the opening pair, Team India put on a fifty-plus run partnership. 

After the departure of Sharma, Team India was struggling to maintain momentum in the middle overs. With a boundary and an over-boundary, Dube was looking promising, but he was not able to score impressive runs.

After India’s victory during the third T20I of the five-match series against Australia, the focus shifted to the fourth clash at the Carrara Oval in Gold Coast, down under. India’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav, lost another toss and was put to bat first on a surface that he reckoned was a little subcontinental and could get slow in the second half. 

Australia’s captain, Mitchell Marsh, wasn’t fully sure of the nature, having not played at the ground regularly. India got a decent start with the 56-run opening partnership between Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, where the former provided them a decent aggression with the bat with some flying shots around the park.

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Quite surprisingly, the Blue Brigade decided to send Shivam Dube at number three in the line-up. The southpaw struggled to find his rhythm with the bat before smashing a 106-metre long six against Adam Zampa. The leg spinner went full, to which the left-handed batter swung hard to launch it down the ground for a massive six.

Watch: Shivam Dube clubs Adam Zampa for 106-metre six during AUS vs IND Gold Coast T20I

Despite the six, Dube had a tough stay in the evening as he failed for 22 runs in 18 balls with one four and one six. He looked to smash the slower delivery from Nathan Ellis, which stuck on the ground as the batter lost his balance, and it crashed into the stumps. India lost their second wicket in the 12th over.

New ball please! Shivam Dube sent that one way out of the stadium 👀#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/H5px77NuIa

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 6, 2025

Australia made four changes in their playing XI. Adam Zampa returned to the eleven after missing the first three games due to personal reasons, while Glenn Maxwell came back after recovering from his wrist injury that he picked up in the practice session. Matthew Short went back to the opening spot as Travis Head got a break to focus on the red-ball games.

India made their way to 125/3 in 15 overs after Shubman Gill fell for a struggling knock of 46 runs in 39 balls. Suryakumar Yadav departed soon for 20 runs in 10 balls as Tim David snapped a fine catch.

End of a cracking innings. Shivam Dube got the big fish in the net. Tim David is gone after an entertaining 74-run innings off 38 balls during Australia vs. India 3rd T20I (AUS vs. IND 3rd T20I) of the 5-match series. Near the boundary line, Tilak Varma took a stunning catch to end the stormy batting of Tim David. 

The Australian batter was at his peak against the Indian bowling attack at the Ninja stadium. The right-handed batter was toying with the bowlers. With his strong arms, David was smashing boundaries and over-boundaries for fun. He reached the half-century mark with ease. But India captain Suryakumar Yadav had the plan to clear him from the crease. 

Yadav introduced a combination of Shivam Dube, a pace bowling all-rounder, and a spinner from the other end. Varun Chakravarthy instantly proved his mettle by taking two wickets in two balls. David, who was on the other end of the wicket, could only see his teammates walking back to the dugout.

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Tilak Varma takes a spectacular catch to dismiss Tim David

Before that successful over of Chakravarthy, David looked lethal against Dube, smashing multiple big shots against the medium pacer. Dube was continuously bowling well off the off stump, and David was hitting those balls for fun. It was a trap from Team India, which later worked. 

In the delivery David got out and there was also an outside delivery from Shivam Dube. This time, the batter did not make the right connection and ended up caught in Varma's safe pair of hands. The catch was not easy to execute. The ball was travelling over the long-off corridor when Tilak jumped timely after covering some ground and gathered the ball precisely right in front of the boundary rope. David had to go. 

Watch the catch here

OUT!

That's the one India wanted. Tim David is out for 74!#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/mjG6qLeL2s

— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) November 2, 2025

After Prithvi Shaw, it was Shivam Dube's turn to show his muscle power during the Mumbai vs Maharashtra practice match ahead of the Ranji Trophy campaign. The match was already on the headline because of Prithvi Shaw's 220-ball 181 against his former side and then a moment of heated exchange with Musheer Khan, brother of India star batter Sarfaraz Khan. Because of some brilliant batting display, Maharashtra scored 465-3 in their first innings, with Arshin Kulkarni scoring 186 in just 140 balls.

In reply, only Shivam Dube from the Mumbai side who made the Maharashtra bowlers toil. The proven pace bowling allrounder came to bat at Number 4 and scored his hundred in 62 balls. In 90 overs, they registered 320-9 in their first innings in the multi-day practice match. During his hundred-run innings, Dube smashed 9 sixes and 5 boundaries. One of the highlights of his dominating was during an over of Hitesh Walunj. Against the left-arm spinner, he smashed four consecutive sixes in a single over. After the Asia Cup 2025 triumph with team India, the allrounder is looking in tremendous form for domestic cricket as well.

Shivam Dube has played 25 first-class matches thus far since his debut in 2017, scoring 1,541 runs at 44.02. He has also taken 58 wickets, including best figures of 7-53.

Dube's stepout sixers in Warm up Game 👀📈 pic.twitter.com/GGRm0CZy9o

— MINATO 💛⚡ (@bharathraj1412) October 10, 2025

Read More: [WATCH] 'Sath dena chahiye tha...'- Sanjay Bangar blames Shubman Gill for Yashasvi Jaiswal's run out during IND vs WI 2nd Test

The Senior Selection Committee of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has announced a 16-member squad to represent Mumbai in the upcoming Ranji Trophy match against Jammu and Kashmir, scheduled to be played from October 15 to 18, 2025, at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar. Experienced allrounder Shardul Thakur named as the captain of the team for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season. 

Mumbai’s squad for Ranji Trophy: 

Shardul Thakur (c), Ayush Mhatre, Akash Anand (wk), Hardik Tamore (wk), Siddhesh Lad, Ajinkya Rahane, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Tushar Deshpande, Sylvester D’Souza, Irfan Umair, Musheer Khan, Akhil Herwadkar, Royston Dias. 

Team India’s all-rounder Shivam Dube was rested for the Super 4 encounter against Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday, September 26. Despite his absence, the Men in Blue extended their unbeaten streak in the Asia Cup 2025, clinching a nail-biting win in a super over to set up their final group clash against Pakistan.

Dube’s inclusion in the XI has often been a topic of debate, as it has limited Arshdeep Singh’s opportunities throughout the tournament. While the all-rounder has only faced 18 deliveries so far, he has made an impact with the ball, claiming five wickets, including a decisive spell against Pakistan in the Super 4 stage.

However, India’s team combination for the final is uncertain due to multiple injury concerns from the Sri Lanka game and Arshdeep’s brilliance in the death overs. Captain Suryakumar Yadav now faces a tough selection call, with Dube’s role under the spotlight.

See Also: Hardik Pandya to miss India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 Final? Morne Morkel's comment raises tension

Why is Shivam Dube Important for the IND vs PAK Asia Cup Final?

With the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan approaching, team balance becomes crucial for India. Shivam Dube’s all-round abilities could play a vital role. Here are three key reasons why recalling him for the high-pressure clash would benefit India.

• India must stay focused on their original strategy despite Sri Lanka scare

Recency bias often plays a role in shaping opinions, especially after Arshdeep Singh’s excellent performance against Sri Lanka. While his brilliance at the death was commendable, the team management already knew his capabilities. His absence wasn’t due to oversight but a tactical move to prioritize balance by keeping Shivam Dube in the XI.

India has consistently trusted this combination in important matches, and it has proven effective on multiple occasions. One tight finish in what was essentially a dead rubber doesn’t mean the approach is flawed. Instead, it highlights the thin margins in high-pressure contests rather than suggesting wholesale changes.

The decision to back Dube was made with full awareness of the trade-offs involved. His role offers depth with both bat and ball, solving bigger concerns for the team. A single game shouldn’t undo the carefully thought-out strategy, especially since India wasn’t drastically better after altering the balance.

• India must strengthen their middle-order depth to maximize stability

India may have remained unbeaten in the Asia Cup 2025, but their dominance has not been flawless. Much of the batting has revolved around Abhishek Sharma, who has contributed over 40% of the team’s runs. On the bowling side, Jasprit Bumrah and the spinners have carried most of the workload.

The real concern has been India’s middle order, which has struggled to adapt against the older ball. Despite these challenges, the side has often managed to recover, thanks to the depth in their batting lineup. This balance has allowed them to stay competitive even in tough match situations.

There may be a strong case for including Arshdeep Singh to strengthen the bowling, but India’s middle order is already struggling for form. Suryakumar Yadav is enduring a lean patch, Sanju Samson is still adjusting, and both Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel have not delivered consistently at the death.

With Jitesh Sharma unavailable, Shivam Dube remains the only realistic option to provide stability and balance. India’s greatest strength lies in their ability to keep playing aggressive cricket regardless of conditions, and that is possible only when their batting depth remains intact. Sacrificing it for an extra bowler could backfire.

• Shivam Dube’s role crucial to counter Pakistan spinners during middle overs

In recent matches against Pakistan, India’s batting unit—barring Abhishek Sharma—appeared unusually cautious when facing spin. The middle order struggled to rotate strike or build pressure, allowing Pakistan’s spinners to control long passages of play effectively.

Abrar Ahmed, in particular, proved difficult to handle. In the group stage, he bowled his full quota, conceding just 16 runs without picking up a wicket. Later, in the Super 4 stage encounter, he was even more economical, giving away only 10 runs in two overs. His tight spells highlighted India’s vulnerability and underlined the need for a more proactive approach in the middle overs.

India cannot afford to let Pakistan’s mystery spinner dictate the middle overs, and they need a designated batter to counter him. Shivam Dube, despite his failed experiment at No. 3 against Bangladesh, fits the profile with his reach and six-hitting ability against spin.

While Tilak Varma is another left-handed option, his strike rate of 122.85 across 70 balls shows he hasn’t been fully effective. Axar Patel has better numbers with a strike rate of 150, but his limited sample size doesn’t make him a reliable choice.

Dube’s returns in the Asia Cup 2025 haven’t been exceptional, but his proven capability against spinners makes him a tempting option. Interestingly, India remain unbeaten in T20Is since 2019 whenever Dube has featured.

Before the first India vs Pakistan Asia Cup Final, which will be played on this Sunday (September 28) at Dubai in the Asia Cup 2025 Final, India and Sri Lanka are facing off each other at Dubai in the last game of the Super Fours in the tournament on Friday (September 26). In this dead rubber fixture, as the defending champions India have already qualified for the Final and the T20 Asia Cup defending champions Sri Lanka have already been eliminated, India have made two changes, as Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube are not in the squad. 

Asia Cup 2025, Super Fours: India vs Sri Lanka - Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube rested

At the toss, Sri Lankan captain Charith Asalanka chose to bowl first after winning the toss. While Sri Lanka made a single change, as Janith Liyanage has been included as the replacement of Charith Asalanka, India made two changes. While the right-arm fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and pace-bowling all-rounder Shivam Dube have been rested from the playing XI, the left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh and right-arm fast bowler Harshit Rana have returned to the playing XI. While it is a good opportunity for both pacers to produce their top performances before the India vs Pakistan match in the Final, Bumrah and Dube have gotten crucial rest before the tournament Final. 

Both Bumrah and Dube have taken five wickets each in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, as they are India's joint second leading wicket-taker in the tournament. In three innings of this tournament, Dube scored 17 runs. 

See Also: ICC likely to penalise Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan for controversial gestures vs IND in Asia Cup 2025: Report

Asia Cup 2025, Super Fours: India vs Sri Lanka Playing XIs

India Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh

Sri Lanka Playing XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka (Captain), Dasun Shanaka, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara