Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has lauded Shivam Dube for his fine cameo in the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Pakistan. The contest was played on Sunday, February 15, at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Asked to bat first, India posted 175/7, with Ishan Kishan top-scoring with a brilliant 77 off 40 balls, while Shivam Dube contributed a valuable 27 off 17, including three fours and a six. In response, the Men in Green were bowled out for 114 in 18 overs, falling short by 61 runs.

Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel after the game, Pathan said that Dube often goes under the radar, having delivered under pressure in the past, including the T20 World Cup 2024 and the Asia Cup 2025 final. The 41-year-old also highlighted the southpaw’s exceptional hitting ability, saying:

“There is another batsman who played really well, someone who often goes under the radar and doesn’t get much attention. In the Asia Cup final, it was Shivam Dube; in the World Cup final, Shivam Dube; and here as well, against Pakistan, he came in towards the end and played a quick cameo.”

“It took him a little time, about 9-10 balls, to get set for the big shots, but after that, he played a quick, effective innings before getting run out. I think he often goes under the radar, but his hitting ability is absolutely tremendous. Overall, by the time the team reached 175, the match was essentially over because the Pakistani batting lineup didn’t have enough firepower,” he added.

Pathan also praised skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who scored 32 off 29 balls, noting that he came in with a proper game plan against Usman Tariq and played a solid innings. Pathan said:

“Suryakumar Yadav’s batting also stood out because it seemed like he was taking a long pause against Tariq. Generally, he tends to show a bit of initial movement, like stepping forward slightly at the time of release, and then adjusting his front or back foot later to play the shot. But if you watch the highlights of Usman Tariq’s bowling, it was very clear.”

“While Suryakumar was batting, his feet hardly moved. Even after the pause, he was waiting patiently, and at the time of release, both his feet remained still. It was very clear that his planning worked perfectly. Suryakumar played a really good innings, especially the shots he played between long-on and mid-wicket. Top-quality batting. That kind of batting was exactly what was needed,” he added.

Meanwhile, the emphatic win ensured that India secured their place in the Super 8s.

“Our Indian team’s bowling is really strong” – Irfan Pathan heaps praise on the Men in Blue attack

In the same video, Irfan Pathan also asserted that India has a strong bowling attack, which was on full display against Pakistan. He highlighted Hardik Pandya dismissing Sahibzada Farhan in the first over, followed by Jasprit Bumrah removing Saim Ayub and Salman Agha in the next. While praising the Indian bowlers, Pathan also expressed puzzlement over Pakistan captain’s approach, saying:

“Our Indian team’s bowling is really strong, very sharp, and it was clearly visible when they came on to bowl. In the first over Hardik dismissed Sahibzada Farhan. He tried to play a cross-batted shot on a length ball, but the ball hung in the air. Then Jasprit Bumrah straight away, goes for the yorker, delivers a sharp in-swinging yorker, gets the LBW, and then comes Salman Ali Agha.”

“As a captain, I didn’t understand his approach. When two wickets have fallen, you need to consolidate a bit, but he went after Bumrah with big shots. And what happened? Within two overs, three wickets went down, including the captain, playing poor shots. This approach didn’t make sense. The score wasn’t even over 200,” he added.

India will now return to action on Wednesday, February 18, when they take on the Netherlands in their final Group A game in Ahmedabad.