How Shivam Dubey became a bigger hero than Hardik, the 3 reasons that left Pandya behind, the character without whom the story would have been incomplete.

New Delhi. The story of Shivam Dubey traveling silently in 3AC train increased both sympathy and respect for him among the people. The very next day after winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, this story was in the headlines of almost every major newspaper and media. This story definitely showed his ‘down-to-earth’ personality, but the real discussion should have been about his contribution which shaped India’s victory. Dube is now a player who has won the World Cup twice and has impressed not only the general audience but also the deep experts of cricket.

Hardik Pandya is still counted among the best all-rounders in the world and along with Bumrah, he is considered the most important player of the team, but in this tournament Shivam Dubey left Pandya behind with the bat. Even though he does not have the same edge as Pandya in bowling, his batting changed the course of the match on many occasions.

Dubey was better than Hardik in batting

The easiest way to understand the importance of Shivam Dubey is to see the circumstances in which he came to bat. Rarely did he get a ready stage. Often he came to the crease when the team needed to handle or score fast runs and this is what made his performance special. Getting out for zero against USA could have been a big blow for him, but that was his only unsuccessful performance in the tournament. By scoring 23 runs in 16 balls against Namibia, he took India’s score beyond 200. His innings of 27 runs in 17 balls on a difficult pitch against Pakistan in Colombo gave strength to the team. His innings of 66 runs in 31 balls against the Netherlands was perhaps the best example of his game. Coming to the position of 69/3, he gave a brilliant all-round performance by taking four fours, six sixes and two wickets.

Decisive role in big matches

In the Super 8 and knockout stages, where players often crack under pressure, Dubey emerged even stronger. An innings of 42 runs against South Africa averted a major defeat. In the quarter-final match against West Indies, two fours hit in the 19th over changed the course of the match, which was praised by Bumrah himself. In the semi-final against England, his inning of 43 runs in 25 balls proved decisive in the seven-run victory. He did not even spare a dangerous spinner like Adil Rashid. When the team was faltering in the final, he scored 26 runs in just 8 balls and took the score to 255, which became the highest score in the T20 World Cup final. Dubey’s 235 runs at a strike rate of around 170 may be impressive figures, but his real importance is much more than that. He gave strategic flexibility to the team. With his presence, the team was able to field additional batsmen without weakening the bowling.

Most Valuable Player

In bowling, he worked hard with coach Morne Morkel and made effective use of wide yorkers and slow balls. Not only this, he also broke the 97-run partnership between Dewald Brewis and David Miller. His game in batting also seemed to have changed. Earlier he seemed to be a one-sided batsman, but this time he showed the ability to play shots in different parts of the field. He got the advantage of his height and was able to hit shots easily even on good length balls. This is why it is not an exaggeration to call him the real MVP of India. This is a recognition of his contribution, which cannot be fully measured by statistics and which is almost irreplaceable for the team at the moment.