Shivam Dube credits Dhoni for turnaround in his game, says his words motivated me to do well
The all-rounder played impactful knocks throughout the season that proved decisive in his team Chennai Super Kings’ victory
Hyderabad: The 2023 Indian Premier League season saw the full potential of southpaw Shivam Dube. The all-rounder played impactful knocks throughout the season that proved decisive in his team Chennai Super Kings’ victory.
The cricketer had the most successful season so far in his career scoring 418 runs in 16 matches with an impressive strike rate of 158.33. The 29-year-old Mumbaikar credited his captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the turnaround in his game.
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Speaking on the sidelines of a promotional event where he partnered with Parimatch Sports, an apparel brand, he said that the CSK management provided all the support to make him a match winner.
“I had a good IPL season last year as well. But this year has been memorable. Being part of the CSK team and the way the management and support staff backed me was the reason for my success. Our captain Dhoni always says ‘focus on the process and don’t think about the results’. That is what I have been doing. Team management said they wanted me to do better than last year. When Dhoni bhai came to me and said that I can win matches for the side, I was very excited and motivated to do well,” he said on Thursday.
When asked what is the one thing that he learnt from Captain Cool Dhoni, the Indian cricketer said, “The way he stays calm in every situation is something I admire. I am learning to be calmer and focused like him,” he revealed.
The cricketer, who played for India in 13 T20 internationals and a lone ODI, had a humble outing by his standards. However, he revealed that he has been working on improving his game constantly.
“At the back of the mind, every player wants to play for India. I am not thinking about it right now but there is one thing that I am constantly focusing on is to upgrade myself. When you do that, you will always be closer to playing for India.”
The lanky southpaw was at the crease during the nerve-wracking IPL final against Gujarat Titans and revealed that they always believed that they could win the cup.
“In CSK, all the team players believe in each other. We always learn from every match. I was at the non-striker’s end and we always had the belief that we could lift the cup. I am a team player and individual performances count for nothing when the team is not winning.”
When asked about the most exciting times in his career, the all-rounder picked being part of the Indian cricket team and winning the IPL this season as his favourite moments. “One should never go ahead of the game. When you start thinking about the future, that is when you make mistakes. Be in the present and focus on every ball. For the youngsters, I say keep working hard and be honest to yourself. You don’t have short cuts, you need to give your 100 per cent,” he advised.
