Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Subramaniam Badrinath has reckoned that the Indian all-rounder Shivam Dube will find it a bit tough to return to the playing XI after Naman Dhir and Nitish Kumar Reddy’s performances in the ongoing series against New Zealand.
Dhir scored an unbeaten 42 off 15 in the first T20I to propel India to a four-wicket win, while he scored yet another match-winning knock of 31 runs in the second T20I. On the other hand, Nitish did well with the ball in hand and also scored a match-winning 26* off 13 in the second T20I.
“I won’t say it’s the end of the road for him, considering the possibilities of injuries to others. But it’ll be very difficult for him to break into the playing 11 again. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Naman Dhir are fitting into the same category very well. They bowl, bat, and are excellent fielders. These two are multidimensional, especially with their fielding,” Badrinath said on his YouTube channel.
“Meanwhile, Dube is somewhat single-dimensional. He can smash spinners and give two overs of bowling. And fielding is terrible. Fielding and fitness is where Dube takes a hit. So it’s going to be hard for him to return to the 11,” he added.
Further, Badrinath showered praise on Naman Dhir for his exceptional 31-run knock in the second T20I against New Zealand.
“His (Naman Dhir) knock was underrated in the second T20I. It came when the situation was tough. Even Tilak Varma acknowledged it after the game. And he bowls off-spin as well,” said Badrinath.
