Mohammad Kaif Slams Shivam Dube, Says ‘Dube is Not an All-Rounder, He is Just a Batsman’

Mohammad Kaif has made a big statement regarding Shivam Dube's bowling. Kaif believes that Dube is not an all-rounder, but just a batsman.

Mohammad Kaif's statement on Shivam Dube: Team India, captained by Suryakumar Yadav, which remained undefeated in the group stage of the T20 World Cup 2026, faced a defeat in their very first Super 8 match. South Africa defeated India by a significant 76-run margin in the first match of Group 1. This loss has dealt a major blow to India's hopes of reaching the semi-finals. Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has made a significant statement regarding all-rounder Shivam Dube.

Match Summary

The team management fielded Washington Sundar for the match against South Africa, dropping vice-captain Axar Patel from the playing XI. South Africa set a target of 188 runs. In response, the Indian team was all out for just 111 runs in 18.5 overs. Opener Ishan Kishan was dismissed in the very first over. Abhishek Sharma, who registered three ducks in the group stage, scored 15 runs off 12 balls. No Indian batsman could make a significant contribution. However, Shivam Dube, batting at the end, took the team past the 100-run mark with a 42-run innings off 37 balls.

Mohammad Kaif's Stern Statement on Dube

Dube was playing as an all-rounder in this match and could not make much of an impact with the ball. He bowled only two overs, conceding 32 runs and taking one wicket. Kaif heavily criticised Shivam Dube's bowling on his YouTube channel. Kaif said, 'Looking at Dube's bowling, it seemed like he was very scared. No one bowls defensively in the 10th over; one should try to take wickets there. In my opinion, Dube is a batsman, not an all-rounder. We don't need an all-rounder who bowls at a speed of 120 kph. He might pick up a wicket occasionally but will concede a lot of runs. He could even concede four sixes in an over against the West Indies.'

Bring in Sanju...: Kaif

The Indian team had 6 left-handed batsmen. Kaif believes the team lacks balance. He advised against sending Hardik Pandya at number 5 solely to create a left-right batting combination. Instead, he suggested bringing in Sanju Samson to maintain proper balance in the batting order.