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“How did Shivam Dube play for India?” – MI fans roast southpaw after slow innings


Rajasthan Royals (RR)‘s decision to stick with Shivam Dube at No. 4 did not work as the southpaw scored a 31-ball 35 and his team finished their 20 overs with 171-4 against Mumbai Indians (MI). The score looks about par at best on such a small ground against the batting might of the 5-time IPL champions.

RR had earlier got off to a solid start from their openers Jos Buttler and Yashavi Jaiswal, with even skipper Sanju Samson striking the ball well. But the MI bowlers were excellent towards the death, with Jasprit Bumrah recording figures of 1-15 from his four overs.

Fans criticize Shivam Dube and RR think-tank

Big-hitting South African David Miller got to face just four balls in which he scored seven runs. Fans believe Miller should have been out there in the middle ahead of Shivam Dube as it could have made a difference to RR’s total.

They also trolled Shivam Dube for not making the most of his chances, something which led to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) releasing him ahead of this season.

Here’s what they had to say about the all-rounder from Mumbai:

MI’s batting has struggled so far in the tournament, with 159 being their highest score. However, they have played all their games on slow pitches in Chennai so far and this will be their first outing on a relatively better batting wicket.

This might be a respite for the struggling middle-order of MI as they hope to get back into form and chase down the target. Although MI are missing the services of Ishan Kishan, Nathan Coulter-Nile’s presence would give that depth down the order.

The key for the defending champions will be their skipper Rohit Sharma, who has been their highest run-getter this season with 201 runs. If the 33-year-old gets going, he can make short work of the chase pretty quickly.

MI would also hope that the likes of Quinton de Kock and Suryakumar Yadav make vital contributions as it would be great for the team’s confidence. With RR bowling attack confident of defending the total, this promises to be an enthralling chase.

Published 29 Apr 2021, 18:00 IST



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