india victorious t20 world cup 2026 The campaign produced countless memorable moments, but one of the most unexpected stories after the final involved the all-rounder Shivam Dubey. After helping India lift the trophy, the cricketer chose a surprisingly simple way to return home – by traveling in the Third AC coach of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Sayaji Express with his wife Anjum Khan.
At a time when the entire nation was celebrating India’s win, Dubey’s quiet and low-key journey captured the imagination of fans. It showed a different side of the star all-rounder – one driven not by glamor or convenience, but by a simple desire to return to his family as soon as possible.
Why did Shivam Dubey choose train journey after India’s T20 World Cup win?
The reason behind Dubey’s unusual travel choice was largely practical. next India’s emphatic victory in the T20 World Cup final in AhmedabadThe city saw an increase in demand for travel. Thousands of fans, officials and players were trying to leave the city at the same time, making it extremely difficult to secure flights.
All flights from Ahmedabad to Mumbai were fully booked, leaving Dubey with limited options. Although travel by road was possible, it would take much longer. To reach home early, the all-rounder decided to board the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Sayaji Express at 5:10 am.
However, the urgency behind the decision went beyond convenience. Dubey was eager to return home to his young children – his four-year-old son Ayaan and two-year-old daughter Mehvish. After spending several weeks away during the tournament, he wanted to meet his family as soon as possible.
For Dubey, the train offered the quickest solution, even if it meant traveling in a regular coach, rather than the luxury arrangements international cricketers are often accustomed to.
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Secret Trip and Close Call
While the plan to take the train solved the travel problem, it created another challenge – avoiding detection. With India’s T20 World Cup win in the headlines, the last thing Dubey wanted was to be surrounded by a crowd of fans inside the train.
To remain unnoticed, he and his wife came in a simple disguise. Dubey wore a cap, face mask and full-sleeved T-shirt to hide his identity. At the railway station, he remained inside the car only until five minutes before departure to avoid attracting attention before boarding the coach.
He took extra precautions after entering the train. Dubey climbed onto the top berth and covered himself with a thick brown railway blanket, hoping to remain unnoticed during the entire journey.
The plan almost failed when the ticket collector arrived to verify the passengers. TC got curious after seeing the name Shivam Dubey on the reservation chart and asked, “Shivam Dubey? Who is he, the cricketer?”
In a moment of quick thinking, Dubey’s wife Anjum calmly replied, “No, no. Where will that come from?” [How will he come here?]
Her confident answer reassured the ticket collector, and he moved on without asking any further questions. The couple breathed a sigh of relief as the most stressful moment of the trip passed without incident.
The remaining eight hours of the journey were largely uneventful. Dubey managed to escape the attention of other passengers and even got down from the berth briefly to use the toilet during the night.
However, he knew that the ultimate challenge awaited him at Mumbai’s Borivali station. Reaching daylight his identity could have easily been revealed to passengers or cricket fans.
To avoid any complications, Dubey contacted the local authorities before the train reached the station. Police were initially surprised to learn that a World Cup hero was traveling by train, arranging for a police escort to help him exit the station safely.
With their assistance, Dubey quietly left the station and went home to meet his children.
While his performance in the tournament – scoring 235 runs at a strike rate of 169 – grabbed the headlines, it was his simple and humble journey that won hearts across the country. In an age of luxury travel and celebrity attention, Dubey’s quiet train ride home is a poignant reminder of how cricketing heroes sometimes want to get back to their families, just like everyone else.