'Hardik Pandya is my brother': Shivam Dube on all-rounder comparisons
What's the story
India all-rounder Shivam Dube has brushed aside comparisons with fellow player Hardik Pandya, calling the Mumbai Indians captain his elder brother. The former made the statement after a stellar bowling performance in India's 2025 Asia Cup opener against UAE on Wednesday. Dube took three wickets for just four runs as India bundled out the hosts for a mere 57 runs in just over 13.1 overs.
Match performance
Dube outshines Hardik against UAE
India's strategy of playing two medium-pace all-rounders paid off as Dube outshone Hardik in the match. While Hardik started the proceedings, Dube was introduced in the 11th over. The latter dismissed Asif Khan off the third ball in the over. Dhruv Parashar was trapped LBW in his next over. Junaid Siddique's attempted big hit handed Dube his third scalp that very over. He conceded just four runs in two overs.
Learning from Pandya
'Hardik is like my brother'
After the match, Dube spoke about his respect for Hardik and how he learns from him. "Hardik is the kind of player from whom I keep learning. He is like my brother," said Dube. He added that he asks Hardik questions even about batting and has never thought about comparisons between them. "All I want, playing alongside him, is to learn and use that knowledge to improve myself," he said.
Role definition
Different roles for Dube, Hardik
Despite being pace-bowling all-rounders on paper, Dube and Hardik have been given different roles by India. Both were part of India's successful ICC T20 World Cup campaign in 2024. While Hardik has become a mainstay in India's limited-overs setup, Dube is still making the most of his chances. In the Indian Premier League (IPL), both Hardik and Dube are mainstays for Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, respectively.
Improvement journey
Support from management helped Dube
Despite the Impact Player rule limiting bowling opportunities for batting all-rounders, Dube has improved his secondary skill with hard work and support from the management. Since Gautam Gambhir became the head coach, Dube has bowled regularly. He credited Gambhir and bowling coach Morne Morkel for their encouragement before the match against UAE. "The captain and coach told me beforehand that I would bowl. 'We have confidence in you,' they said," said Dube.