Hardik Pandya supporters hit back at CSK star with expletives on X

Shivam Dube, who’s creating a lot of buzz due to his explosive batting in the IPL, making his case stronger for selection in the national squad for the forthcoming T20 World Cup, smacked a blistering 66 off 27 balls at the Chepauk on Monday.

On the other hand, Hardik Pandya has been woefully out of form – both with bat and the ball, with some reports suggesting that his World Cup spot was under immense threat because of Shivam Dube’s heroics in the elite T20 competition.

He’s managed to score only 151 runs at a mediocre average of 21.57 with the highest score of 39 in the eight matches he’s played in the tournament so far.

In the bowling department, the Gujarat-born all-rounder has hardly bowled and when he has taken up the ball, he has gone for plenty of runs.

Hardik Pandya has picked just four wickets in eight games but what would be worrying the Mumbai Indians management is his economy rate. In the 17 overs, Hardik Pandya has bowled, he has been virtually clobbered by opposition batters, allowing them to cherry-pick him for sixes and boundaries. The result is that he has given away runs at almost 11 per over.

In contrast, Shivam Dube has made 311 runs in 8 matches, including three half-centuries in IPL 2024. But what’s impressive in his numbers is his strike-rate, which stands at 169.95 at present.

Shivam Dube’s impressive figures in the IPL still didn’t generate confidence in his ability to perform in clutch situations as Hardik Pandya’s admirers stated that the former was making runs due to CSK’s impact rule in the IPL.

Some opined that Shivam Dube would struggle against world-class bowling line-ups like Australia, South Africa, and England.

After his innings against LSG, Shivam Dube revealed that he was enjoying his time in the middle with crowd support playing a key role in boosting his confidence while hitting the ball to all corners of the park.

“Especially the support from the crowd is amazing. We love to play in Chennai. All grounds are like home grounds but this is what pushes me a little more. Rutu needed 1 over to recover after playing for a long time so I decided to take the bowler on,” Shivam Dube told Star Sports.

Meanwhile, four former India players – Mohammed Kaif, Suresh Raina, Aakash Chopra, and Irfan Pathan – appealed to the national selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar to pick him in the 15 for the T20 World Cup.

“Shivam Dube is perfect to bat after the top order and before the big hitters. Should be India’s No. 4 or No. 5 at World T20,” Mohammed Kaif posted on X.

“World Cup loading for Shivam Dube! Ajit Agarkar bhai select karo please,” Suresh Raina wrote on the microblogging site.

“Dubey has to be on the flight to the West Indies for the T20 World Cup,” Aakash Chopra said while joining Suresh Raina and Mohammed Kaif in support of the southpaw.

“Is there any one striking better than Shivam Dube in the Indian cricket at the moment in the middle/Death overs? He has to be there in that flight to the World Cup,” Irfan Pathan noted.

Going back to the game between CSK and LSG, after the KL Rahul-led LSG opted to field at the Chepauk, CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad came out all guns blazing, producing a spectacular knock laced with 12 gorgeous boundaries and three sixes to remain unbeaten on 108 off 60 balls.

Notably, this was the first time a CSK captain has made a hundred in the IPL.

Before Ruturaj Gaikwad’s century against LSG, the highest score by a CSK skipper in the prestigious T20 tournament was 84* and there are no prizes for guessing that it belonged to MS Dhoni.

Since the IPL’s inception in 2008, MS Dhoni was the leader of the franchise till the start of the current edition of the competition when he handed the charge of the side to Ruturaj Gaikwad.

During his long 14-year tenure with CSK, MS Dhoni couldn’t make a ton, and his highest score for CSK in the IPL is an unbeaten 84.

However, one must not forget that while Ruturaj Gaikwad opens the innings for CSK, MS Dhoni is a lower-order batter who hardly gets enough deliveries to post a three-figure score in the tournament.

Besides Ruturaj Gaikwad’s record hundred, Shivam Dube’s 66 off 27 balls helped CSK to 210/4 in their allocated 20 overs.

Ruturaj Gaikwad may have trumped MS Dhoni to become CSK’s highest scorer as skipper but his hundred eventually went in vain as LSG’s Marcus Stoinis came up with a ruthless ton, smashing an unbeaten 124 off 63 deliveries to seal a comprehensive six-wicket win for the visitors.

With the loss, CSK dropped out of the top 4 in the standings, while LSG jumped to fourth on the table.