Chennai Super Kings’ Shivam Dube has emerged as a formidable force in the Indian Premier League (IPL), with his ability to control matches and strike fear into the hearts of opposing bowlers. Bowling coach Eric Simmons has hailed Dube’s impact, noting that teams are “scared” to bowl spin against him.
In CSK’s recent 20-run victory over Mumbai Indians, Dube played a pivotal role with an unbeaten 66 off 38 balls. Notably, Mumbai employed seven bowling options but refrained from using their spinners after the eighth over, with Dube facing only one delivery from Shreyas Gopal.
“When he (Dube) comes on, they take the spinners off (and) they put the pacemen on. He has become more and more effective at that. But they didn’t bowl spin again (in) the rest of the game because he was at the wicket,” Simmons explained.
Simmons emphasized Dube’s ability to control matches, stating that his presence at the crease forces opponents to alter their bowling strategies. “They can’t ball spin anymore. They don’t want to. They’re scared to. His ability to be effective against the pace bowling has become a massive asset for him,” he added.
Beyond his brute force, Simmons highlighted Dube’s exceptional timing, which often goes unnoticed. “He hit a cover drive through extra cover. It was just the flow of the bat. It wasn’t the brute force that he sometimes does it with; it just flew to the fence. I don’t think people appreciate the timing with which he hits the ball. He’s got some brute force, but his timing is outstanding,” Simmons said.
CSK’s philosophy of providing players with “safety to try and fail” has played a crucial role in unlocking Dube’s potential. “One of the most important things you can give your cricketers is something called safety. Psychological safety is the buzzword. Safety to fail, safety to try, safety to grow, be challenged all the time, but be trusted,” Simmons explained.
Simmons also praised Sri Lankan bowler Matheesha Pathirana, who claimed 4 for 28 in the match-winning spell for CSK. “The wickets is a bonus but his accuracy was really good, because sometimes you bowl accurately (but) not (get) the wickets,” he said.
