Shivam Dube's struggles against spin continue with second consecutive golden duck after T20 World Cup selection

Shivam Dube's struggling against spin

Since his selection for the T20 World Cup squad, Shivam Dube's luck seems to have deserted him. He was dismissed for a first-ball duck against spin during the PBKS vs CSK match in Dharamsala on 5 May. This marked his second consecutive golden duck.

Dube has been selected for India's squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in June due to his big-hitting ability, especially against spin. However, since his selection on 30 April, the left-handed batter has seen his form dip against spinners in the IPL 2024.

Dube was trapped LBW by Harpreet Brar for a first-ball duck but managed to take a wicket in his first bowling over. His struggles continued in the reverse fixture on Sunday against Punjab when he faced Rahul Chahar. The leg-spinner bowled a delivery outside off-stump, tempting Dube to attempt a cut shot, but he only managed to edge it to Jitesh Sharma. The first ball of the over saw Chahar dismiss Ruturaj Gaikwad, who seemed to be set with 32 runs off 21 balls.

Dube joins a group of T20 World Cup stars who have struggled since their selection. Captain Rohit Sharma scored 4 off 5 and 11 off 12 since the squad announcement, while Hardik Pandya has also faced challenges with the bat, although he has performed decently with the ball.

In CSK’s home game against Punjab, the first after India’s squad announcement, Dube was handed the ball and took a wicket with his second delivery – his first IPL wicket since 2020.

This bodes well for both CSK and India, who are looking at his bowling abilities for the T20 World Cup. For now, the focus is on how quickly he regains his batting form, the primary reason for his selection.