Shivam Dube never really broke free in the RCB changing room: AB de Villiers

Shivam Dube. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

After having a stellar season in the Indian Premier League last year, Shivam Dube cracked into the national team and played some brilliant cricket. He started in a similar fashion in IPL 2024 as he smashed 51 runs off 23 deliveries against Gujarat Titans and was adjudged Player of the Match. He received a lot of praise from former cricketers after the knock as AB de Villiers mentioned that it is fantastic to see Dube play a fearless brand of cricket.

Notably, the former South Africa international shared the dressing room with Dube in Royal Challengers Bengaluru. However, due to his poor performance, the franchise released him ahead of IPL 2021. He then went to play for Rajasthan Royals, but the franchise wasn’t impressed by his strike rate, which led to his release. As per De Villiers, Dube has found support in Chennai, the way he wanted in other franchises. The 40-year-old mentioned that the CSK management gave him a lot of freedom, which helped the all-rounder play an aggressive brand of cricket, which didn’t happen in RCB.

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“It’s fantastic to see Shivam like this. He never really broke free in the RCB changing room. He was quite a shy guy, worked really hard, and asked a lot of questions back in the day. I think he did a bit of learning there but never felt comfortable,” De Villiers said on Jio Cinema.

“He talks about being free in CSK, and that is the magic recipe that MSD, Gaikwad, Stephen Fleming, and all the guys from the past have set up over there. It’s a workhorse of a franchise that just makes it work every time, every single season, with new players who feel free to express themselves,” he added.

Notably, with the likes of Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, and Rinku Singh available for selection for the upcoming T20 World Cup, things won’t be easy for Dube. However, if he manages to keep up the momentum, the cricketer can earn his ticket for the mega tournament, which is slated to begin after the IPL.