India vs New Zealand Thriller Sees Shivam Dube Ignite Vizag Chase
The fourth T20I between India and New Zealand in Visakhapatnam delivered drama in abundance, but nothing captured the imagination quite like Shivam Dube’s astonishing cameo — a knock that swung momentum, stunned the crowd, and then ended in the most heartbreaking and chaotic fashion.
Chasing a daunting target of 216, India found themselves under severe pressure early. The chase had barely begun when disaster struck, and for a while, it looked like the game might slip away quickly. What followed, however, was one of the most explosive innings seen in recent T20 cricket — a reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in this format.
A Nightmare Start for India
India’s reply could not have begun worse. Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for a golden duck, undone by Matt Henry’s movement with the new ball. Soon after, captain Suryakumar Yadav departed for just 8, caught and bowled by Jacob Duffy. Two wickets down inside the powerplay, with the asking rate already climbing, India were reeling.
Rinku Singh and Sanju Samson tried to stabilize things, rotating the strike and rebuilding cautiously. Their partnership took India past the fifty-run mark, offering a glimmer of hope. But just as things began to settle, Mitchell Santner castled Samson for 24, and the pressure returned instantly.
Hardik Pandya, promoted up the order, failed to make an impact and fell cheaply to spin. With wickets tumbling and the required rate ballooning, India desperately needed something special.
That something arrived in the form of Shivam Dube.
Dube Unleashes Absolute Carnage
From the moment Shivam Dube settled in, the tone changed. The left-hander didn’t just attack — he obliterated the New Zealand bowling.
What followed was breathtaking.
Dube launched Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, and Zakary Foulkes into the stands with astonishing ease. Length balls, full balls, short deliveries — nothing was spared. Massive hits sailed over deep mid-wicket, long on, and square leg, some clearing the ropes by a distance that left fielders helpless.
Incredibly, Dube raced to his half-century in just 15 balls, becoming the third-fastest Indian to reach the milestone in T20 internationals. It was a brutal, clean-hitting display — raw power combined with confidence and clarity.
The crowd in Vizag was electric. Every swing of the bat felt like it could disappear into the night sky. At one stage, India smashed 42 runs in just two overs, dragging the chase back into contention when it seemed nearly lost.
Confusion, Chaos, and Cruel Fate
Yet, amid the fireworks, confusion crept in.
There were moments of sheer chaos — boundaries that were initially signaled and then debated, inside edges that fooled fielders, and batters stopping mid-run thinking the ball had crossed the rope. Replays were called for, on-field decisions overturned, and the tempo of the game oscillated wildly.
Then came the cruel twist.
India vs New Zealand: Harshit Rana and Ravi Bishnoi at the Crease After Shivam Dube’s Explosive Knock Ends in Drama
Dube, having turned the game on its head, mistimed a pull shot. The ball traveled toward the deep, where a sharp piece of fielding and quick thinking resulted in a run-out at the batting end. The hush that fell over the stadium was immediate and deafening.
For an innings so dominant, the end felt brutally unfair.
Dube walked back with a wry smile — perhaps knowing he had done everything possible — but the disappointment was unmistakable. His final contribution was not just runs, but belief.
New Zealand Hold Their Nerve
Credit must be given to New Zealand, who had earlier laid the foundation with a blistering batting performance. Openers Tim Seifert and Devon Conway added 100 runs for the first wicket, with 71 coming in the powerplay alone. Seifert’s 25-ball half-century set the tone, before Arshdeep Singh finally broke the stand.
Even after quick wickets, New Zealand kept the run flow going, pushing India to chase well above par. In the end, despite Dube’s heroics, their bowlers held their nerve in the decisive moments.
Matt Henry, in particular, returned at crucial stages, mixing pace and length smartly. Ish Sodhi and Foulkes had expensive moments but found breakthroughs when it mattered most.
Where the Game Stood
At the fall of Dube’s wicket, India were 156/6, with Harshit Rana and Ravi Bishnoi at the crease. The required rate remained steep, and New Zealand sensed the opening they needed.
While the chase didn’t end there, the dismissal of Dube felt like the defining moment — the instant when hope flickered and then dimmed.
More Than Just an Innings
Shivam Dube’s knock will be remembered not for the result, but for the sheer audacity of it. In a chase slipping away, he played without fear, dragging India back into relevance almost single-handedly.
It was a reminder of T20 cricket’s chaos — where a game can change in a dozen balls, and where even the most brilliant innings can end in heartbreak.
For fans in Vizag and millions watching, Dube’s 15-ball fifty wasn’t just entertainment — it was a moment that made the impossible feel possible, if only for a while.
