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MS Dhoni may have ensured that the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) got a total in excess of 200 against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the biggest rivalry clash at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, April 14, however, the innings belonged to Shivam Dube and his burst in the middle overs that helped five-time champions stay on the course of a big score. Dube stayed unbeaten on 66 off just 38 deliveries as he entered the top five on the list of leading run-getters of the tournament.
Dube currently has 242 runs to his name in six matches at an average of 60.5 and a strike rate of 163. Dube single-handedly has taken care of the middle-overs hitting for the Super Kings. Dube, who dismisses any and every spinner from its presence, has developed his game against the pacers and slowly and gradually is proving to be a key acquisition for the Super Kings and auditioning more than decently for a place in India’s T20 World Cup.
On Sunday, as soon as Dube came in to bat in the eighth over of the innings, MI skipper Hardik Pandya didn’t bowl a single over of spinners after that and Dube was still able to play at a strike rate of close to 175. Whether it was Akash Madhwal, Hardik Pandya, Gerald Coetzee or Romario Shepherd, who got special treatment from the left-hander, Dube didn’t leave any of them. If the ball was in his area, he smashed it.
With the consistency in hitting that he is showing, Dube has made himself a frontrunner to get picked for the T20 World Cup, not just based on his IPL form. Dube was also the highest run-getter in the series against Afghanistan with a couple of fifties and calls to get him picked have gotten louder. Take a look-
CSK finished with 206 runs on the board, however, Mumbai Indians have kept themselves on course to chase the total down with Rohit Sharma leading the charge with the bat.
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