IPL 2024 | "Mahi bhai worked with him personally": Ruturaj Gaikwad on Dube

Chennai Super Kings` batter Ruturaj Gaikwad plays a shot during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 T20 cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans, at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Pic/PTI

Shivam Dube has improved a lot against short-ball deliveries and MS Dhoni has personally worked with him, says Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. Mumbai-lad Dube played a crucial knock in the IPL 2024 match between CSK and Gujarat Titans on Tuesday.

The left-hander's knock of 51 runs came in 23 deliveries which included 2 fours and 5 sixes. Previously, in the IPL 2024 opener, Dube smashed 34 runs off 28 deliveries including 4 fours and 1 six. Early in his career, the short ball had become his shortcoming but this season a transformed Dube has managed it well even when he looks a bit uncomfortable.

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"Just confidence. When he came here the management worked with him personally, Mahi bhai worked with him personally. He knows what role he is playing and which bowler to take on. A big plus for us," Gaikwad praised his big-hitting game-changer. Dube also spoke about the freedom that CSK leadership has given him and he has worked hard to remain prepared for the short balls, now that couple of bouncers are allowed per over.

"This franchise (CSK) is something different from all others. They are giving me the freedom. They want me to do better and I also want to win some matches," Dube said after winning 'Player of the Match' award. It is not just survival but Dube has also attacked short balls in these two games like never before, albeit with mixed results. "I have worked in that way. It is helping me. I know they will bowl me some short balls and I am ready for that."

He also mentioned that the team management advised him to do the same thing that is to take on the bowlers.

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"They want me to do the same thing I did today. They want me to score with a higher strike-rate and that is what I'm doing." For his skipper, Tuesday's win was a result of a near-flawless performance. "Today's game was near to perfect game, in the sense of batting-bowling-fielding, all three departments. Against a team like Gujarat, we had to produce this kind of performance," Gaikwad said.

In their IPL 2024 second clash, Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill has no hesitation in accepting that his team was completely outplayed by CSK on Tuesday. The hosts secured a win by 63 runs which helped them claim the top spot with four points from two matches. The big-run margin also boosted their net run rate.

"They outplayed us when we were batting, their execution was spot on. We backed ourselves to get a decent score in the Powerplay and once we didn't, we were always playing catch-up. It was unfortunate for us," Gill said at post-match presentation ceremony. Gill said that he was expecting a 200-run total considering the hard bouncy nature of the track.

"In T20, you can always talk about 10-15 runs here or there, end of the day it's about how much they got. On this wicket, we were expecting to chase 190-200. I think, it's a great learning for the bowlers." For Gill, it is better to face an opposition like CSK early on rather than face them later.

"I think it's better to have this kind of game early on in the tournament rather than in the middle or late. We always expected to chase 190-200, it was a really good wicket. Felt like we let ourselves down while batting."

(With PTI Inputs)