3 reasons why India must drop Shivam Dube from playing XI for AUS vs IND 2025 4th T20I

India will take on Australia in the fourth T20I at the Carrara Oval in Queensland on Thursday, November 6. With the series currently level at 1-1, the Men in Blue will be keen to continue their good form following a five-wicket win over the Aussies in the third T20I.

In the last game, India made three changes to the playing XI in the previous game. Jitesh Sharma, Arshdeep Singh and Washington Sundar replaced Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana and Kuldeep Yadav, respectively.

The gamble paid off. Arshdeep Singh starred with the ball, emerging as the leading wicket-taker with three wickets. Washington Sundar scored a quickfire 49 off 23 balls with the help of four sixes and three boundaries. Wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma also justified his place by scoring an unbeaten 22 off 13 deliveries.

The Men in Blue would be keen to continue their core with question marks over all-rounder Shivam Dube, who leaked 43 runs in his three overs, but bagged the crucial wicket of Tim David (74 off 38 balls).

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Exposed with the ball Down Under

Shivam Dube took a beating in his very first outing with the ball in the third T20I between India and Australia in Hobart. While his medium pace did wonders in Dubai during the Asia Cup, Dube failed to replicate his good bowling display in Australia.

The medium pacer conceded 15 runs in his opening over as Tim David welcomed him with two boundaries. Marcus Stoinis then smoked him for two consecutive sixes in his second over, as the Aussies made another 15 off his second over. Matthew Short rubbed salt on the wounds with a six and a four in his third over, conceding another 13.

With Nitish Kumar Reddy available for the remaining two T20Is (subject to match fitness) after recovering from injury, the Men in Blue might pick the all-rounder for Dube in the playing XI.

Inconsistency with the bat in his last few innings

Shivam Dube has been inconsistent with the bat over the last few innings. The left-handed batter has managed just 54 runs in his five innings since the 2025 Asia Cup. His previous five scores read 4 (2), 33 (22), 2 (3), 5 (8), and 10* (7). Notably, the 32-year-old managed scores of five and eight against weaker teams - Oman and Bangladesh, respectively, caught out on both occasions.

Since the 2024 T20 World Cup, the Mumbai batter has managed 176 runs in nine innings at an average of 22, including a solitary half-century.

India doesn’t seem to have confidence in his batting Down Under

The Indian team management had trust issues with his batting in Australian conditions during the second T20I, where they promoted Harshit Rana over him. The southpaw scored a boundary off the first ball he faced from Xavier Bartlett but nicked the next delivery to wicketkeeper Josh Inglis. India lost the game by four wickets.

The team management might pick Rinku Singh solely based on his batting credentials. The southpaw last played in the 2025 Asia Cup final against Pakistan, scoring four runs off the only ball he faced, to take the Men in Blue over the line. Overall, he has 550 runs in 25 innings at a stunning strike rate of 161.76, including three half-centuries.

The part-time off-spinner can also be used to bowl a couple of overs. The 28-year-old has scalped two wickets in the only over that he has bowled in T20Is, which came against Sri Lanka last year.

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Edited by James Kuanal