T20 World Cup 2024: Not Rishabh Pant or Sanju Samson!! Stephen Fleming names the X-Factor player in India squad

Chennai Super Kings' Kiwi head coach Stephen Fleming feels that all-rounder Shivam Dube is going to be a very impactful player for team India in ICC T20 World Cup 2024.  

Stephen Fleming made this statement yesterday during a press conference ahead of Chennai's home game against Punjab Kings later today in Chepauk.

Fleming was told that Shivam Dube, who has been a key part of the CSK team since 2022, has been picked in the main 15-man squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. And to that, Fleming expressed his high hopes for Dube. 

Stephen Fleming admits that Shivam Dube has improved his T20 game 

While speaking to media reporters at the MA Chidambaram stadium last night, Stephen Fleming had some positive things to say about Shivam Dube. Fleming started by saying that Dube has been a fantastic player for CSK this season and that his game has improved drastically. 

The former Kiwi opener stated that Shivam Dube has become much more than just smacking the spinners all over the park. Fleming praised Dube's physical strength and hailed him for channelizing that power in the best way possible for CSK. 

"Yeah he's fantastic. I think he has proven this year that there's a lot more to him than just hitting spinners. He gets raw power which we think have seen at the start of the tournament, something that really impresses us and he has, consistently during the tournament, done that." - Stephen Fleming told media reporters in Chepauk.

The 51-year-old then stated that during World Cup tournaments, teams do require certain X-factor players and claimed that Shivam Dube is that X-factor player. Stephen Fleming expressed his delight to see his CSK all-rounder being selected for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. 

Fleming happened to be reminding the Indian team management of Dube's quality. The Kiwi admitted that Shivam Dube has become a lot more complete than he was in the previous seasons and that he understands the game in a much better sense now. Dube has also worked hard on the nets to improve those areas where he was not so good at, revealed Fleming.  

"And in a World Cup, you need some X-factor players so I'm delighted that he's gonna get the opportunity. He's a lot more complete in terms of what he's trying to do and understanding his game and this comes with a little bit of experience that we have benefitted from working hard on areas that he wasn't so strong." - Fleming added.  

Dube to prove impactful for India

Shivam Dube was definitely crucial behind CSK's charge towards the 2023 IPL title as he had scored 418 runs from 16 matches at a 158.33 strike rate with 3 half-centuries to his name.

And this year, he has maintained that image of a key player in the top-middle order. From 9 matches, Dube has been able to score 350 runs at an improved strike rate of 172 and an average of 58.33 and has already scored as many half-centuries as he had in 2023. 

The impact he has had for CSK is going to be similar when he wears the Indian jersey during the World Cup, according to Fleming.  

"But also continuing to develop that strength, which is the ability to hit the ball long and regularly and he has done that for us this year so if that form continues, he is gonna be an impactful player for India." - Stephen Fleming concluded.