Hours after celebrating India's T20 World Cup 2026 triumph in Ahmedabad, Shivam Dube found himself in a very different setting - tucked into the upper berth of a train headed to Mumbai.
India had defeated New Zealand by 96 runs in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on March 8, posting a massive 255/5. Dube played a crucial cameo in the closing stages of the innings, smashing 26 runs off just eight balls in the final over to push India beyond the 250-run mark.

But while celebrations continued in Ahmedabad, the all-rounder quietly boarded a train the next morning to get back home to his family.
According to reports, Dube, his wife Anjum and a friend boarded the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Sayaji Express early on March 9 after discovering that flights to Mumbai were fully booked.
The train departed at 5:10 am, and the trio travelled in a third AC coach for the eight-hour journey.
Dube said taking the train was simply the quickest option available as he wanted to return home to see his children - four-year-old Ayaan and two-year-old Mehwish - who were in Mumbai.
"There was no flight available, so I decided to take a train from Ahmedabad early in the morning to Mumbai," Dube said.
Travelling on a public train hours after winning the World Cup could easily have turned chaotic, so Dube tried to keep his identity hidden.
He wore a cap, a mask and a full-sleeved T-shirt while entering the station. To avoid attention from fans on the platform, he stayed inside the car until just minutes before the train's departure.
Once on board, he quickly climbed to the upper berth and covered himself with a railway blanket.
At one point, even the ticket checker passed by without recognising him after Dube's wife deflected questions about whether the cricketer was travelling in the coach.
The journey itself went smoothly, but Dube was more concerned about being recognised once the train reached Mumbai.
To avoid a crowd at the station, he eventually contacted the police and received an escort when the train arrived at Borivali.
The move ensured that the newly crowned world champion could exit the station without attracting attention from fans.
Dube played an important role in India's title-winning campaign.
Batting primarily in the middle and lower order, he scored 235 runs in the tournament at an average of 39 and a strike rate of 169. His late-innings hitting proved crucial, with the all-rounder smashing 17 sixes and 15 fours across the competition.
His cameo in the final - 26 runs from eight balls - helped India reach a daunting total that New Zealand could not chase down.
While many Indian players continued with celebrations after the title win, fans on social media praised Dube for choosing a simple route home.
The image of a freshly crowned world champion quietly travelling in a third AC coach - hidden under a blanket on an upper berth - became a reminder of the grounded personality behind India's latest World Cup hero.