"If he does well in the 2 months of the IPL, don't be surprised if he is the Man of the Tournament in the World Cup" - Suresh Raina on Shivam Dube

Suresh Raina reckons Shivam Dube could be the Player of the Tournament in this year's T20 World Cup if he fares well in IPL 2024.

Dube gave an impressive all-round performance in India's six-wicket win in the first T20I against Afghanistan in Mohali on Thursday, January 11. He returned figures of 1/9 in two overs and scored an unbeaten 60 off 40 deliveries as the Men in Blue chased down a 159-run target with six wickets and 15 deliveries to spare.

During a discussion on Colors Cineplex, Raina claimed Dube could be the standout performer in the 2024 T20 World Cup if he impresses in the upcoming edition of the IPL. He said:

"A lot of eyes will be on Shivam Dube in this IPL about how MS Dhoni uses him in Chennai. If he does well in the two months of the IPL, don't be surprised if he is the Man of the Tournament in the World Cup."

The former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) player feels MS Dhoni might be tempted to use the all-rounder with the ball in IPL 2024. He elaborated:

"Since he is bowling, the captain could get a thought whether he can bowl two overs or if he can be used as a floater. He can bat anywhere from No. 4 to No. 7. When the matches will be played on the Caribbean or American wickets, he has a good slower one as well."

Dube didn't get to bowl at all in IPL 2023. It needs to be seen if he rolls his arm over this year as the Impact Player rule and the plethora of bowling options in the CSK lineup might not allow him many opportunities to do so.

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"When your self-confidence is high, make as many runs as possible" - Suresh Raina on Shivam Dube

Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh strung together an unbroken 42-run fifth-wicket partnership. [P/C: BCCI]

Suresh Raina urged Shivam Dube to make the most of his good form, saying:

"He picked up a wicket and when he got to bat, we saw the form. He spent a little time. The way he is showing form, he did well in first-class cricket also recently, when your self-confidence is high, make as many runs as possible."

The cricketer-turned-commentator feels the seam-bowling all-rounder could be an asset for India. He reasoned:

"He has the passion and self-confidence. The attacking cricket he plays, we need a left-hander like that who can play in the top six. I feel Shivam Dube will get the ticket for the World Cup."

Raina noted that Dube showed that games can be finished by playing cricketing shots even in T20 cricket. However, he added that the right-arm seamer needs to put in a little more hard work, especially on his run-up.