“Now he is also hitting sixes off short balls.”

Former India pacer Aakash Chopra has praised Shivam Dubey for saving the Men in Blue from an embarrassing spot in their 2026 T20 World Cup match against Netherlands. He also praised Dube for his powerful hitting ability, highlighting that the all-rounder can now also smash short balls for sixes.

Dube scored 66 runs off 31 balls as India set a target of 194 runs for the Netherlands in their final Group A match in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, February 18. He then scored figures of 2/35 in three overs as the co-hosts restricted the Dutch to 176/7, winning the match by 17 runs.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra’, the cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that India were in trouble before Dube helped them to a big total with his blistering knock.

“India were in trouble, 69/3 at one stage, and it is very important to talk about who came next. He is known as ‘Shaktimaan’ Dubey. He has power and he shows it too. He has shown it constantly in this tournament at different stages. Of course, he was out in the first match against the USA. However, Pakistan and this match, and don’t take this match seriously, because we were in trouble,” Chopra said.

“You have to make the most of your opportunity. Shivam Dubey has really impressed me. His level of sixes is unbelievable. A spinner has no idea where to bowl if you can hit sixes against spin without moving. Now he is also hitting sixes off short balls. If you bowl at the stumps, be prepared to get the ball back from the stands,” he added.

Shivam Dube came out to bat when India were reduced to 69/3 after nine overs at the fall of Tilak Varma (31 off 27) wickets. He added 41 runs for the fourth wicket with Suryakumar Yadav (34 off 28) and 76 runs for the fifth wicket with Hardik Pandya (30 off 21) to help set the Netherlands a tough target.

“It’s a late stage” – Aakash Chopra talks about the improvements made to Shivam Dubey’s game

In the same video, Aakash Chopra pointed out that Shivam Dubey has returned to cricket after taking a long break from the game.

“How did Shivam Dubey improve his game? There was pressure on him. He quit cricket at one stage. There was a period of four to five years when he did not play cricket at all. He quit cricket because he was not able to do it. Then he started playing. He is a late player.”

The former Indian pacer added that the left-handed batsman proved his abilities after an initial struggle against the short ball.

“Then there were problems, the bouncers were a problem, Mumbai were not playing him, but he kept improving and creating his own identity. He kept making everyone realize his ability, because the guy has fire,” Chopra noted.

Aakash Chopra pointed out that Shivam Dubey has been criticized for his lack of performance after almost every Indian win in the T20 World Cup 2024. He pointed out that the Mumbaikar proved his worth by scoring an invaluable 16-ball 27 in India’s seven-run win in the final against South Africa.