India captain Suryakumar Yadav recalled backing Shivam Dube to open the bowling in the Asia Cup 2025 final and hinted at repeating the move against Australia.
During the high-voltage Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan, India captain Suryakumar Yadav made a surprising call by handing the new ball to all-rounder Shivam Dube. Dube had bowled only 10 overs in five matches leading up to the title clash, and his selection to open the attack instead of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah raised a few eyebrows. The decision came after Hardik Pandya was ruled out of the final due to a quadriceps injury.
Despite being a non-regular bowler, Dube justified the captain’s faith. He conceded only one boundary in the first over and finished with figures of three wicketless overs for 23 runs. His disciplined spell helped India restrict Pakistan to just 146 runs in the final.
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Ahead of the first T20I against Australia in Canberra, Suryakumar explained why he trusted Dube with such a big responsibility.
“No, no, I don’t put pressure on anyone. You’re talking about expectations – I absolutely don’t put any pressure. Everyone has their own preparation; they know the conditions here, how they need to bowl. But he’s (Dube) been working really hard on his bowling. And because of that, he showed such confidence that I made him bowl in the Asia Cup final. I knew – I’ve been playing with him for seven-eight years – how capable he is. I saw that his preparation was really good,” Suryakumar told reporters.
Dube To Open Bowling?
The India skipper added that he wouldn’t hesitate to use Dube in a similar role against a strong opponent like Australia.
“If your preparation is solid, if you’ve practiced well and there’s no doubt in your mind, then I think you’re very clear with your plans. And he is very clear with his plans. If he gets another opportunity tomorrow, why not? It’s a good team, and when you bowl well against a good team, it boosts your confidence even more,” he said.
With Dube’s growing confidence and Suryakumar’s trust, the 1st T20I in Canberra could once again see the all-rounder take the new ball for India.
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