"He reminds of Yuvraj Singh": Aakash Chopra on Shivam Dube's batting

NEW DELHI: Cricket commentator and former India batter Aakash Chopra feels Shivam Dube's style of play matches former star batter Yuvraj Singh, specially when he hits.

Dube once again was exceptional for India against Afghanistan at the number four spot in the second T20I. He scored a remarkable 63* which included five boundaries and four maximums. In the series opener, he guided the hosts to victory with his remarkable 60* off 40 deliveries.

"Shivam Dube - the striking power the kid has. He is not a kid, he is 30 years old. He started late, didn't play cricket for quite a few years in between, when he was a kid, due to some family issues. Almost left cricket and then came back. Scored a fifty against the West Indies in one match and then didn't get that many opportunities," Chopra said in a video posted on his YouTube channel.

"He was coming back again but he made 60-plus scores in the two matches he played here. The strike rate was outstanding in both matches and struck sixes one after the other. When he hits, he reminds you of Yuvraj Singh slightly," Chopra added.

With the T20 World Cup approaching and Hardik Pandya's fitness still being a concern for the Men in Blue, Dube has emerged as one of the options who could feature in India's playing XI. In the ongoing three-match series against Afghanistan, Dube has picked up three wickets and struck six maximums and ten boundaries.

"I feel Shivam Dube is an extremely serious contender to go for the World Cup because you will need strength to hit sixes. You won't be able to hit sixes with timing on the West Indies pitches. The grounds are big and the pitches are slow," Aakash said.

India have gained an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series and will be keen to complete the whitewash in the final T20I on Wednesday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.