Shivam Duberecently opened up on his experience of being handed the new ball in the Asia Cup final between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Dube was declared the Impact Player of the match inside the dressing room after delivering a match-winning performance in the all-important summit clash on Sunday.
The all-rounder soaked in the applause and thanked head coach Gautam Gambhir for trusting in his bowling prowess. The Mumbai-born also admitted that the prospect of bowling with
the new ball was quite daunting for him. He concluded by mentioning that he thoroughly enjoyed his time on the field.
"Thank you. It means a lot to me. Thanks, Gauti bhai and the captain for the opportunity. First over daalna, mai pressure mein tha, mai jhooth nahi bolunga. Bohot darr bhi lag raha tha (Bowling the first over, I was under pressure, I won't lie, I was also quite scared). But many people supported me, and I felt good. But then during the match, all of the pressure went away because the mind was focused on bowling. I had a lot of fun, thank you," expressed Dube in his speech while speaking to BCCI.tv.
Dube, not a regular new-ball bowler by any means, did a commendable job by conceding only 12 runs in his first two overs. He eventually ended up wicketless while conceding 11 in his third of the evening. His availability with the ball in the first half of the match meant the spinners could be brought on later in the innings too.
The 32-year-old contributed with the bat too. His 22-ball 33-run knock proved to be priceless in the scheme of things. Indiaemerged victorious by five wickets and two balls to spare to clinch their ninth Asia Cup title. It was also the third time they defeated the Men in Green in Asia Cup 2025, but the first in a final.
