Mumbai all-rounder Shivam Dube’s rise reflects in IPL auction

Shivam Dube first came to limelight during the T20 Mumbai Premiere League where he hammered veteran spinner Praveen Tambe for five consecutive sixes.

Just a day before the IPL auction, Mumbai’s budding all-rounder Shivam Dube whacked Baroda spinner Swapnil Singh for five sixes in as many balls in their Ranji Trophy tie and his batting prowess has not gone unnoticed during the IPL auction. No wonder that the 25-year-old southpaw was on Tuesday grabbed by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for a whopping Rs 5 crore.

Unlike Armaan Jaffer, Prithvi Shaw or a Sarfaraz Khan, Dube’s rise to prominence did not come from school-cricket but from the ongoing Ranji season. Even when experienced Mumbai batsmen including dropped Surya Kumar Yadav faultered, Dube raised his hand and bailed the team out on multiple occasions. He already has two hundreds to his name.

Dube, who looks up to West Indies legend Brian Lara in batting, first came to limelight during the T20 Mumbai Premiere League where he hammered veteran spinner Praveen Tambe for five consecutive sixes. And from then on there was no looking back for the youngster, though he had to take a break due to personal reasons.

A senior Mumbai Cricket Association official, who knows Dube, said he was bulky earlier and has worked on his fitness a lot. “Dube started playing age-group cricket but then took a break due to personal reasons. He has played U19, U23 cricket before making his Ranji Trophy debut. He is very focussed now, ” the official said.

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