Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel has backed all-rounder Shivam Dubey despite his poor performance in the ICC T20 World Cup. Morkel also endorsed the all-rounder’s ability to provide India with some useful overs in the game.
Although Shivam Dubey has been used sparingly with the ball during the tournament, India’s team management still considers him a valuable part-time option, especially during crucial stages of the game.
Former Indian batsman Mohammad Kaif also suggested that India should reconsider using Shivam Dubey as a bowling option, knowing how aggressive the batsman is against him.
He is someone who can still give us a few overs – Morne Morkel
Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel has backed all-rounder Shivam Dubey despite his costly spells in the ongoing T20 World Cup. He said that his spells getting wrong was not due to form but only due to lack of execution.
Morne Morkel said, “I don’t think it’s a loss of bowling form. Shivam knows the game well. At times our performance was not good, and perhaps the thinking behind some balls could have been better, but in terms of form, he is a guy who can still give us some overs.”
Morne Morkel further added, “For him it’s about making better decisions with the ball. That’s an area we want to improve on because honestly, teams will go after him and try to put him under pressure. If we can improve his execution and thinking with the ball, that will help us a lot.”
Shivam Dubey’s terrible bowling form
Shivam Dubey’s bowling form has been very poor in this T20 World Cup. After playing 7 matches in the World Cup, he has bowled just 9.2 overs and given away 124 runs at an economy of 13.28 and taken just 5 wickets.
His toughest performance was against major teams in the Super 8s, as he conceded 46 runs in just two overs against Zimbabwe, which came after his previous spell of 32 runs and one wicket in two overs in India’s Super 8 clash against South Africa.
He is still extremely useful to the team, as he has scored 166 runs in 7 matches at an average of 33.20 and an impressive strike rate of 156.60. Dubey’s all-round skills will be crucial for the big semi-final clash against England.
Shivam Dubey: Silent match winner for India
For India, all-rounder Shivam Dubey is performing brilliantly with the bat in the ICC T20 World Cup. He was also the highest scorer for India in the match against South Africa, when the rest of the batting order collapsed without any significant contribution.
He cannot be dropped as he has been very effective with the bat in winning matches for India. At times, he comes into play as a finisher and remains on top when India chases big targets.
In the last game against West Indies, he hit two important fours, which helped India play the final over with confidence. When he came in, India needed 17 runs from 10 balls and he scored 8 runs with his bat and also took a quick double.
Of the 10 matches in which he remained unbeaten for India, India have won all their matches in such conditions.
Also read: Morne Morkel issues official statement on India’s terrible fielding in T20 World Cup 2026
