Asia Cup: 'Hardik Pandya is my brother' – Shivam Dube shuts down critics on comparison

Shivam Dube is slowly carving his space as a genuine all-rounder for India, and his performance in the Asia Cup opener against the UAE underlined just how far he has come. Picking up three wickets for just four runs in two overs, Dube played a crucial role in India’s nine-wicket demolition of the hosts, showing that his bowling can be just as effective as his power-hitting. Dube credited a lot of his improvement to bowling coach Morne Morkel, who has been working closely with him since his return to the Indian team during the England series. “Morne has been working with me since I came back into the Indian team for the England series. He has given me certain specific advice and I worked on them,” Dube said. He revealed how Morkel helped him fine-tune his line, develop a slower delivery, and adjust his run-up. “The head coach and the skipper had told me that my bowling will have a role to play,” he added. The India all-rounder has also spent the last two months focusing on his fitness and batting skills. “For the last two months, I have worked a great deal on my fitness. As far as my batting is concerned, I know I have a role to play in the middle overs. Over the years, bowlers targeted me with short balls, and I have worked on increasing my range of shots,” Dube explained. He also spoke about adapting to conditions, noting that “as the tournament progresses, wicket will get slower and I know my slower ball will be effective, and I also know how to bat in middle overs.” On comparisons with Hardik Pandya, Dube was clear that there is no rivalry. “Hardik is like a brother from whom I tend to learn a lot as he has way more experience both in IPL and international cricket compared to me. Comparison, I never thought of, as my only endeavour is to learn as much as I can from his vast experience,” he said. Looking ahead to the India-Pakistan clash, Dube stayed grounded. “Whether I am playing against UAE or Pakistan, I try to follow what my coach Gauti bhai (Gambhir) tells me. When you play for India, you have got a chance to do some great things for the country,” he said. Dube’s emergence as a reliable seam-bowling all-rounder gives India flexibility in their lineup, particularly as they look to balance batting depth and bowling firepower in the Asia Cup.