IPL 2024: This franchise is giving me the freedom – Shivam Dube after match-winning knock against GT

Chennai Super Kings’ pugnacious batter Shivam Dube feels the franchise is different from other teams in the IPL. Dube revealed that the team management is backing him to the hilt and that’s how we are seeing his best.

The left-hander played an attacking knock of 51 runs off just 23 balls against Gujarat Titans at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. Dube, who smashed two sixes on the first two balls he faced, scored two fours and five maximums in his blistering knock.

Dube was awarded Player of the Match for scoring his seventh IPL fifty as he played a key role in helping CSK post an above-par score of 207 runs on the board after being put into bat by Shubman Gill.

Dube said in the post-match presentation, “This franchise is different from all others. This franchise is giving me the freedom and I also want to win some matches for them.”

While Dube is brilliant against the spinners, he is still a work in progress against the pacers. The short ball is not his strongest suit but he is working hard on his technique. With the new rule of two short balls every over now incorporated, Dube knows he is going to be targeted with short stuff.

Dube added, “I worked in that way as well – it is helping me, I know they are going to bowl short balls and I’m ready for that. They want me to go on a higher strike-rate and I want to do that.”

On the other hand, Deepak Chahar bowled a fine spell as he returned with figures of 2-28 in his quota of four overs. Chahar accounted for GT openers – Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill – and bowled three fine overs in the Powerplay.

Chahar said, “Since the time I have been playing, I have been bowling 3 overs in the powerplay, used to it, just trying to bowl as well as possible with the new rules around. Earlier, if you bowled a bouncer in the first 2-3 balls, batters were always ready for a full length ball, but this new rule with two bouncers allowed in an over, it helps all the pacers. There’s bounce always, but there’s not much dew around at the moment. The ball grips and bounces in such conditions. I got to look at Mahi (MSD) bhai and at Ruturaj – both of them these days”

Chennai Super Kings will next take on Delhi Capitals at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam on Sunday.