Shivam Dube on Hardik Pandya: "He's Like a Brother, I Only Look to Learn From Him"

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Dubai, Sep 11: Indian all-rounder Shivam Dube has been in the spotlight following his match-winning performance against the UAE in Team India's Asia Cup 2025 opener on Wednesday (September 11). Returning with figures of 3/4 in two overs, the Mumbai cricketer spoke candidly about his bowling development, his batting evolution, and the influence of senior all-rounder Hardik Pandya.

When asked about comparisons with Pandya, Dube dismissed any notion of rivalry. "Hardik is like a brother from whom I tend to learn a lot. He has way more experience in both IPL and international cricket compared to me. My only endeavour is to learn as much as I can from his vast experience," Dube said.

The 30-year-old credited head coach Gautam Gambhir and bowling coach Morne Morkel for backing his all-round role. Morkel, he revealed, has been instrumental in fine-tuning his bowling. "Morne told me to bowl a line slightly outside off-stump, helped me work on a slower delivery, and tweaked my run-up a bit. The head coach and skipper had told me my bowling will have a role to play," he explained.

Post IPL, where the Impact Player rule often limited his bowling, Dube devoted two months to improving his fitness and all-round skills. "As far as batting is concerned, I know I have a role as a power-hitter in the middle overs. Bowlers have targeted me with short balls earlier, so I've worked on expanding my range of shots," he said.

Looking ahead in the tournament, Dube highlighted how conditions will shape strategies. "As the tournament progresses, wickets will get slower. I know my slower ball will be effective, and I also know how to bat in the middle overs," he added.

The Mumbai all-rounder also spoke about the challenge of facing India's own "mystery spinners" in the nets. "Even I fail to pick Varun (Chakravarthy) and Kuldeep (Yadav) while batting against them. Mystery bowlers are very difficult to read," he admitted, while refusing to comment on how UAE batters fared against them.

On the hype around the upcoming India-Pakistan clash, Dube remained grounded: "Whether it's UAE or Pakistan, I try to follow what my coach Gauti bhai tells me. When you play for India, you've got a chance to do something great for the country."