"Even If Hardik Pandya Is Fit...": Rohan Gavaskar's Bold Shivam Dube T20 World Cup 2024 Remark

With Hardik Pandya still far from making a comeback, all-rounder Shivam Dube made a strong claim for a spot in India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad, smashing back-to-back half-centuries in the ongoing T20I series against Afghanistan. Dube's impressive show in the series has strengthened his case as the backup for injury-prone Hardik Pandya. But, the son of legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, Rohan, feels Dube is making sure that he is on the plane to South Africa for the T20 World Cup next year even if Hardik is fit.

"We have been talking about him as, 'Oh, listen, what if Hardik is unfit?', I think what he is doing is making sure that even if Hardik is fit, he is on that plane in that World Cup squad. If you put in performances like this, it is very hard for anyone to drop you. It is going to be a really tough decision for the selectors if they decide to drop him. He is doing all that he can, which is giving the selectors a headache," Gavaskar said on Cricbuzz.

Gavaskar is of the opinion that Dube is getting more and more accustomed to the demands at the international level, and he is ready to come in as the first-choice replacement for the likes of Hardik Pandya or Rinku Singh in the shortest format of the game.

"After these two games, I think he now feels that he belongs at the international level. He has got the appreciation and respect of his teammates because he put in two absolutely wonderful performances."

"I think he is just a lot more comfortable about his own game. He knows his own game better. He is not trying to copy anyone now. He is saying, This is what I can do and what I bring to the table," Gavaskar further said.