Dube would be the first to point out that Yuvraj was a different style of batter who could dominate all bowling attacks at the highest level in high-pressure situations. And he could bowl and was an ace fielder as a youngster. At his best, all this made him a near-complete allrounder in white-ball cricket, and Dube is working hard on becoming just that.
In IPL 2023, no batter hit more sixes against spin than Dube’s 22. Dube, who plays for Chennai Super Kings, hit 20 of those sixes in the middle overs (7-16).
After making his India debut in 2019, Dube retreated quickly to the domestic circuit after failing to make an impression at the international level. Looked upon as a back-up to Hardik, Dube did not raise any compelling reason, either as a batter or bowler, for selectors and the team management to persist with him.
However, in the last two years, under the guidance of Dhoni, Dube has steadily blossomed into a match-winner, though specifically as a batter. The short ball was a big weakness for Dube. He had tried to counter it by playing aggressively, but that approach wasn’t really working for him. So in the last IPL, he took a step back and found a compromise solution against the short ball in the middle overs – he was only out once to fast bowling at that length, while scoring at just over a run a ball – while maintaining an overall strike rate of just under 130 against fast bowling in that phase.
Playing percentage cricket against pace ensured that Dube was able to make the most of his assigned match-up: taking down spin. Such an approach was responsible for several defining knocks in the IPL: in the final against Gujarat Titans, and before that against Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
So is Dube the allrounder a viable option for India’s T20 World Cup squad? Dravid would not commit, but observed that Dube had returned as an “improved” player. “He has certainly put his hand up and said, ‘Look, here I am and these are the skills I possess, and if you are looking for something like that, I have got this ability,'” Dravid said after the series. “He really showed us that he has got some really good ability through those middle overs against spin. Also with the ball. He bowled some good overs and he has learned some lessons as well that it can be a very unforgiving bowling in a place like Bangalore.”
Those on the outside, too, feel Dube is a strong contender to play as an allrounder, specialising in hitting spin through the middle overs while delivering an over or two in a match, giving India a sixth bowling option.
As a bowler, though, Dube remains a work in progress. Against Afghanistan, he returned figures of 1 for 9 (2 overs), 1 for 36 (3 overs) and 1 for 25 (2 overs). Barring one over at the death in Indore, he bowled in the middle overs. While he is tall and well-built, Dube doesn’t generate a lot of pace and bowls mostly in the early to mid 120s (kph) range, relying more on his slower deliveries.
Raman is not concerned about Dube’s lack of pace. “It is not about pace,” he says. “It’s about variations he can conjure and how he can implement them. He has developed the back-of-the-hand delivery and he also rolls his fingers on the offcutter. He has time to develop at least one more variation, possibly a yorker or a slow bouncer. If he can get reasonable control over these deliveries, because of his height he can pose an awkward challenge for the batter. Because of his tall stature, the yorker becomes difficult [to hit] and the slower bouncer, too, can be difficult for the batter to gain any control [against] and play an attacking shot.”
The question for Dube, as for every other contender for the allrounder’s role, is how frequently he can replicate his good performances. Both Dravid and Raman agree that IPL 2024 will be a good testing ground.
Now that he has had a taste of winning matches for India, Dube is hungry and keen to evolve and make the T20 World Cup squad. After the Indore T20I, he said he knew he needed to persist with all the things he was doing that allowed him to execute plans with confidence. “It is not just about skill,” he said. “It is about mentally how you play the T20 game, how you handle the pressure of which bowler you take on. So that is more important. Being focused on every ball from my side is very important. Not hitting wild.”
Wise words. Even Yuvraj would agree with them.
Nagraj Gollapudi is news editor at ESPNcricinfo