Shivam Dube played a key role in India's T20 World Cup title defence.
All-rounder Shivam Dube was one of the top performers for India as they successfully defended their T20 World Cup title on home soil.
Dube featured in all nine matches for India, scoring 235 runs in addition to taking five wickets. In the final against New Zealand at Ahmedabad on Sunday (March 8), the southpaw produced a cameo of 26 runs in just 8 balls, propelling the hosts to a mammoth 255/5 in 20 overs, which proved to be too much for the Kiwis.
After India’s title-clinching 96-run victory in the final, Dube, along with his wife Anjum Khan and a friend, travelled to Mumbai from Ahmedabad via a train.
According to a report in The Indian Express, the Mumbai-based cricketer decided to board a train because all flights from Ahmedabad to Mumbai were booked.
While Dube was aware that his presence on the train could create chaos, he wanted to be with his kids as early as possible. Hence, he decided to take the risk.
“There was no flight available, so I decided to take a train from Ahmedabad early in the morning to Mumbai. We could have gone by road, but the train was faster," Dube told publication.
“Me, my wife and a friend decided to take a train. 3rd AC tickets were available, so we decided to book them. Everyone we spoke to was worried. What if someone recognised me at the station or inside the train?"
“I wore a cap, a mask and a full-sleeved T-shirt. It was a 5.10 am train, so we hoped there would not be many people on the platform," he added.
Since there were a lot of fans on the train, he had to change his plan a bit. “I told my wife that I will wait in the car till five minutes before the train’s departure. After that, I will rush to board the train," Dube said.
After boarding the train, the lanky all-rounder quickly moved to the top berth, and when the ticket checker came, his wife handled the situation smartly.
“Shivam Dube? Woh kaun hai, cricketer?" TTE asked, and Anjum replied, “No, no. Woh kahan se aayega (where will he come from)?"
Shivam Dube was also accompanied by a police officer to manage any potential chaos. Fortunately, the journey remained uneventful.
“At night, I got down from the berth, but no one recognised me on the way to the washroom and back. The train trip was smooth, but I was worried about getting down at Borivali in broad daylight. I couldn’t have escaped attention there," Dube stated.
“They (police) thought I was landing at the airport but were surprised when I told them that I was travelling by train. I was provided a police escort, so things were easy and the exit was smooth," he remarked.