"How will you not take him?" - Aakash Chopra on Shivam Dube's place in India's T20 World Cup squad after performances for CSK in IPL 2024

Aakash Chopra believes the selectors need to pick Chennai Super Kings (CSK) big-hitter Shivam Dube in India's squad for the T20 World Cup later this year.

CSK restricted the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to 137/9 in an IPL 2024 league game in Chennai on Monday, April 8. Dube smashed an 18-ball 28 in the run chase as the defending champions registered an emphatic seven-wicket win with 14 deliveries to spare.

Reflecting on CSK's chase in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra noted that Dube demonstrated once again why he should be picked for the T20 World Cup.

"I am convinced that it will be impossible for you not to take him for the World Cup. How will you not take him? Just consider the way he is batting. A lot of people say that there is role definition and he has been given freedom. Whoever wants can have freedom and show if they can hit sixes so consistently," he explained (8:25).

"Everyone who played in this match, including Andre Russell, felt it was very difficult to hit sixes on this pitch, and that it was a very big ground. It was nothing like that for Shivam Dube. He picked the right balls and hit them into the stands. He even hits fast bowlers into the stands. He is forcing the selectors to take him for the World Cup," the former India opener added.

Dube smashed three sixes and a four during his 28-run knock. The left-handed batter is CSK's top run-getter in IPL 2024 thus far, with his 176 runs in five innings coming at an excellent strike rate of 160.00.

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"You need to score runs as a captain" - Aakash Chopra lauds CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad's knock

Ruturaj Gaikwad scored an unbeaten 67 off 58 balls. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra also praised CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad for playing a responsible knock.

"Ruturaj Gaikwad, the way he batted and stayed till the end. He scored 46 against Gujarat. So it's not that he wasn't in form but had been dismissed thrice against left-arm fast bowlers. You need to score runs as a captain. He was the point of discussion yesterday as well that he would be in focus," he said (7:00).

"He scored runs once again and said later that people might comment on his strike rate. I said no one will do that because you just have to see the match's requirement, and the requirement of the match was for him to stay till the end as they would win in any case. So he stood till the end," the reputed commentator added.

Chopra appreciated Daryl Mitchell as well for playing a crucial cameo.

"When Rachin Ravindra got out, Daryl Mitchell was there for some time. (Ajinkya) Rahane had some calf issue. Daryl Mitchell batted very well till the time he was there. He plays spin well, got out to Sunil Narine, but his bat hit the ball well. He played a very good reverse sweep as well," he observed.

Mitchell scored 25 runs off 19 deliveries. He added 70 runs for the second wicket with Gaikwad after Rachin Ravindra had been dismissed in the fourth over.