Indian cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra opined that India can pick both all-rounders Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya in the squad for the much-awaited T20 World Cup, starting from June in the West Indies and in the United States of America. The 46-year-old asserted that the Dube reminds him of former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh as he attacks the bowler in the same way. He said that the 30-year-old should bat a little down the order for India.
“Shivam Ati Sundaram – his power is talking loudly. I felt he was sent slightly early in the third match. You could have sent either Sanju Samson or Rinku Singh ahead of him because he is not a grafter, he is an attacker. He reminds me of Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh). So you need to keep him slightly down the order,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
The former batter further added that both Hardik and Dube should be there in the T20 World Cup squad.
“The way he hit sixes in the first two matches, the power was evident. Some people have even said to leave Hardik and pick Dube. I am saying keep both. Shivam Dube is a real contender based on these three matches. If he does well in the IPL, it will be the icing on the cake,” the former India opener added.
Pandya missed the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan this month as he continues to recover from his ankle injury which he got while playing against Bangladesh in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Dube was a part of the recently concluded T20I series against Afghanistan where he scored 124 runs and snapped two wickets in the three matches.
The former Kolkata Knight Riders batter said that power should never be underestimated in the shortest format of the game, especially as pitches in the Caribbean and the United States are expected to be spinner-friendly, with the West Indies also boasting decently large pitches.
