Aakash Chopra questions Shivam Dube's absence from T20I squad
What's the story
Aakash Chopra, the renowned cricket commentator and former Indian cricketer, has expressed concerns over all-rounder Shivam Dube's exclusion from India's squad for the upcoming T20I series against England.
Dube, a pivotal player in India's victorious 2024 T20 World Cup campaign, last played for India in a T20I series during their tour of Sri Lanka in July 2024.
He was selected for the next series against Bangladesh but didn't make it to the playing XI.
Performance review
Dube's performance and injury led to squad exclusion
Notably, Dube was dropped from the four-match T20I series in South Africa after an injury.
This has piqued Chopra's interest in Dube's sudden disappearance from T20Is.
"What happened to Shivam Dube? I wanted to talk about Ruturaj (Gaikwad) as well but he is not able to make his place," Chopra said on his YouTube channel, highlighting Dube's key role in India's T20 World Cup win.
Match impact
Chopra highlights Dube's contribution in T20 World Cup
Chopra also emphasized Dube's important contribution in the T20 World Cup final, where he scored a quickfire 27 off just 16 balls.
"When you win, everyone should get the credit. He even played decently in the final," Chopra said.
Despite earlier doubts over his fielding and batting abilities, Dube's performance proved to be the key in India's championship win.
Domestic performance
Dube's impressive domestic cricket stats
In the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Dube had a phenomenal run for Mumbai, scoring 151 runs from five innings at an average of 75.50 and a strike rate of 179.76.
His highest score was an unbeaten 71 off just 37 balls against Services.
In his T20I career so far, Dube has scored 448 runs from 24 innings at an average of nearly 30 with three half-centuries under his belt.
Squad concerns
Chopra questions Pant and Jaiswal's T20I squad exclusion
Chopra also questioned the exclusion of Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal from the T20I series against England.
He was surprised by Pant's absence, calling him a "generational talent" and stressing on how important he was for the team.
As for Jaiswal's exclusion, Chopra speculated that he could be in the plans for the upcoming Champions Trophy.