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"Dar lag rha tha": Shivam Dube admits to new-ball pressure after bagging impact player award win

Akshita Patel

Shivam Dube earns recognition for all-round efforts in Asia Cup 2025 final [Source: @BCCI/X.com]Shivam Dube earns recognition for all-round efforts in Asia Cup 2025 final [Source: @BCCI/X.com]

India's all-rounder Shivam Dube emerged as a surprise saviour in the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan. He played in the place of the injured Hardik Pandya, and with some fine all-round performance with bat and ball, he was awarded the impact player Medal.

Dube bowled tightly in the powerplay, giving up only 12 runs in his first two overs. He finished with figures of 0/23 in 3 overs, a very respectable spell in a tense final. His calmness with the new ball gave India the early control they needed.

Shivam Dube wins the impact player medal for heroics vs Pakistan

But it wasn’t just the ball that he delivered. Coming in at 77/4 in the 13th over, India still needed 70 runs to win. Shivam Dube came up with a bold cameo of 33 runs from 22 balls, well complementing Tilak Varma, who was settled at the crease.

Their partnership proved to be the match-winning one as India chased down the 147-run target with confidence. Hence, for his brilliance with the bat and ball, Dube received the impact player award, and he hilariously admitted to feeling the pressure while bowling with the new ball in the powerplay.

"Thank you. It means a lot to me. Thanks, Gauti bhai and the captain, for the opportunity. First over daalna, mai pressure mein thha, mai jhoonth nahi bolunga. Bohot darr bhi lagg raha thha (Bowling the first over, I was under pressure, I won't lie, I was also a lot scared). But many people supported me, and I felt good. But then during the match all of the pressure went away because the mind was focused on bowling," Dube said in the video released by BCCI.

Interestingly, this was not his first medal of the tournament. Dube had earlier won it in India’s opening clash against the UAE, where he produced magical figures of 3/4 in just two overs.

With this win, India clinched their ninth Asia Cup title and their second in the T20 format. For Dube, the night will always be special, not just for his performance, but also for the way he handled the pressure with honesty and humour.

India left without Asia Cup 2025 trophy

While the Asia Cup 2025 tournament concluded, controversy continues to linger off the field. India didn’t receive their deserved trophy, as after they refused to collect it from ACC and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, the latter ran away from the venue with the silverware and the medals. Hence, the men in blue celebrated their triumph without a trophy in hand.