IND vs IRE: Shivam Dube thinks he is Kapil Dev- Stephen Fleming accuses the all-rounder

Indian all-rounder Shivam Dube's journey from a promising talent to an ICC T20 World Cup 2024 contender has been closely watched by the former New Zealand captain and the current head coach of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Stephen Fleming.

Fleming has invested significant time and effort into nurturing Dube's potential for CSK. Dube's transformation at the CSK was remarkable, scoring 289, 418, and 296 runs in his last three seasons with the five-time champions.

Shivam Dube's all-round prowess under the radar

However, he didn’t get the chance to prove his worth with the ball. Well, Dube's stellar performances for CSK in the IPL 2024 caught the attention of Indian selectors, earning him a spot in India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad.

However, the left-handed batter’s selection stirred up mixed reactions among fans and experts, especially about his bowling prowess. While the 30-year-old’s batting was just amazing, his bowling remained untested during the IPL 2024, thanks to the availability of the all-rounders on the CSK team and the Impact Player rule.

With just six balls bowled and one wicket taken, questions were raised about his effectiveness as an all-rounder. However, Dube snared two wickets in the warm-up match against Bangladesh. The CSK all-rounder returned with impressive figures of 2/13 and scored 14 runs during India's 60-run win over the Tigers.

Stephen Fleming backs Shivam Dube to shine with the ball in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024

Meanwhile, Stephen Fleming believes that his gentle, medium pace could prove invaluable in the unique conditions of the drop-in pitches in New York for Team India in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. Expressing confidence in Dube's bowling abilities, the CSK head coach said that his skills can prove a big asset for the Men in Blue in the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Even the former New Zealand captain compared the medium pacer with legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev ahead of India’s opening game against Ireland in the T20 World Cup 2024 on Wednesday, June 5, in New York.

Stephen Fleming was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo: “If his bowling is the way he talks about, he is like Kapil Dev. He’s been working really hard. He worked hard through the IPL. We had a number of players who do that all-round role, and again, with the impact player role, it actually diminishes the role of an all-rounder or a part-time bowler who bats well, which is a bit of a shame.”

Fleming added, “But he’s been doing his bowling, he has had his loads up. He can be awkward in the right conditions, which you would say would be a little bit slow, which his cutters and change of pace could play a part, he can play a part. He can do a job and he’s worked very hard on it.”

Stephen Fleming hails Shivam Dube's power-hitting ability

Furthermore, the CSK head coach said that it depends on how Team India utilizes him with the bat in the T20 World Cup 2024. Fleming emphasized that Dube's ability to accelerate the run rate in the middle overs forces opponents to alter their game plans.

He also reckoned that Dube has been evolving into a finisher, hailing his technical prowess and power-hitting ability. Fleming is expected to be a game-changer for the Men in Blue at the mega event.

Notably, Dube has played 21 T20Is for the Indian cricket team so far, scoring 276 runs and picking up 8 wickets with an economy rate of 9.86.