IND vs BAN: Explosive Shivam Dube finally gets India T20I call-up

Shivam Dube, the aggressive Mumbai all-rounder, has earned a call-up in the Indian national team for the T20Is against Bangladesh which starts on Sunday, November 3, 2019. BCCI chief selector MSK Prasad revealed Dube's inclusion in the squad on Thursday. Virat Kohli will be resting in the T20I series while Rohit Sharma will be captaining it.

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A promising talent

Dube came into the limelight in 2018 for the power-hitting abilities that he exhibited in the Ranji Trophy and the Mumbai T20 League where he smashed spin veteran Pravin Tambe for five consecutive sixes. Dube's solid performances in the domestic circuit brought him an IPL contract with the Royal Challengers Bangalore for the 2019 season which was valued at Rs. 5 crore. In 2019, Dube was vital in the Mumbai team reaching the Vijay Hazare Trophy quarter-finals, scoring 177 runs in five outings with the bat. Shivam also performed beautifully as a part of India A team against the West Indies earlier this summer.

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"I love power-hitting"

Speaking to a few journalists after his selection, Dube mentioned how he is a natural power hitter. He also mentioned how his father wanted to make him an aggressive batsman and the role that has played in the way he bats. Dube added that he loves the explosive style of play that he has adopted. He proceeded to thank his father and God for helping him reach the Indian team. He expressed confidence about earning a call-up in the Indian team.

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Chief selector shows faith

The chief selector of the BCCI, MSK Prasad, showed faith in Dube as he talked about his selection. Prasad mentioned how the management has considered Hardik Pandya (who is currently injured) and Vijay Shankar in the role they want Dube to play in. Prasad reaffirmed the selection committee's belief in Dube being the perfect all-rounder that the team requires at this stage keeping in mind next year's T20 World Cup in Australia and his performances have proven the same.

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