Shivam Dube scored 235 runs with a strike rate of 169.06 and one fifty to his name.
Indian all-rounder Shivam Dube revealed that the Men in Blue really got together after being shocked by the defeat at the hands of South Africa in the Super 8s of the T20 World Cup 2026 and reset their game plans, enabling them to dominate the proceedings on their way to championship glory.
India had qualified for the Super 8s undefeated in the group stage and faced South Africa in Ahmedabad in their first game. South Africa posted 187/7 in 20 overs with David Miller leading the way with 63 runs. In reply, India only managed 111 runs to lose the game by 76 runs.
This led to India rethinking their game plans and including Sanju Samson in their XI to break the left-handers’ monotony at the top of the order. This bared fruition as India went on to post 250-plus scores in three of their next four matches, against Zimbabwe, England, and New Zealand, while chasing a 196-run target against the West Indies.
Shivam Dube made this plain when he pinpointed India's setback to South Africa as the turning point in their title-winning season. According to him, the loss in the first Super Eight match sharpened the entire unit.
“As a team, we peaked after the loss against South Africa. Before that game, we were playing well, but we all pulled up our socks after that. We were a completely different team, and our best came in the final,” Dube said to the Indian Express.
Dube had an outstanding tournament performance, always showing up for the squad. Dube attributed his success to the clarity about his role provided by India coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav before the competition, which enabled him to commit to and carry out his duties with discipline.
“My role was simple and communicated a long time ago by coaches Gautam Gambhir and Surya bhai—keeping the strike rate high. If I’m asked to bowl, keep a tight line and keep the runs down. During the last World Cup, too, I had a similar role, but that time I had only a couple of big knocks. This time, I told myself that I won’t think too far ahead and take things match by match,” Dube said.
That clarity was crucial. In major tournaments like the World Cup, stellar performances will not win you the trophy. Dube was executing a specific function established by the team, and his precision allowed him to do so freely.
“I always had the confidence and just backed myself. I had worked hard on it. There was clarity in what the team wanted from me. I didn’t promise anything to myself, and the goal was to win the World Cup at home,” he said.
According to Dube, India's title run was founded on absorbing a setback, sharpening after it, and playing the greatest cricket when the tournament demanded it.