The sense of absolute clarity and keeping communication crystal clear has undoubtedly played a part in Dube’s resurgence as a designated spin-hitter in the middle overs for Chennai, as seen from hitting 30 sixes, the most by an Indian batter in IPL 2023. Uthappa also pointed out that the left-hander has improved against facing pacers too.
“In a sense, Shivam Dube has worked a lot on his game. He’s worked hard on his game and fitness. You can see the effort when it comes to him, as compared to last year’s season, is a lot. There were some glaring issues with him in facing fast-bowlers. You can see that improvement happening from the beginning of the season – he’s not backing away to the fast-bowlers anymore.”
“He’s holding his position and is even coming inside the line of the ball in hook and pull shots, which takes a lot of courage from him. He’s performing the role CSK has asked of him. He’s been a great player of spin bowling and is a massive six-hitter. The fact that he’s got the backing of the franchise, MS Dhoni, support staff, has given him oodles of confidence as well.”
“So, he’s riding on that high and it’s a trick which a lot of franchises can potentially use. You can turn those players from good to great if you use what CSK are doing for almost a decade and a half now,” he concluded.
