Following his heroic performance in the T20 World Cup final, Indian all-rounder Shivam Dube opted for a unique route home. He secretly boarded a train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai to reunite with his children, leading to an amusing journey where he and his wife tried to keep his identity hidden from fellow passengers.
Team India all-rounder Shivam Dube was one of the heroes behind the Men in Blue’s successful T20 World Cup title defence. The side, led by Suryakumar Yadav, defended the crown won under Rohit Sharma in 2024 with a dominant 96-run victory over New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, March 8.
Dube was one of the most impactful in Team India’s title-winning campaign, providing stability and firepower in the middle order of the batting line-up. In the final, the 32-year-old played a quickfire cameo unbeaten knock of 26 off 8 balls, including 3 fours and 2 sixes, at a strike rate of 325 to propel India to 255/5, which was successfully defended by the bowlers, bundling New Zealand for 159 in 19 overs.
Shivam Dube’s impact with the bat in the middle order played a critical role in India’s dominant campaign, except for the opening Super 8 defeat to South Africa in Ahmedabad, and eventual triumph in the tournament.
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Dube’s Quiet Train Journey
As Indian players left for their respective homes from Ahmedabad by flight, Shivam Dube opted for a quieter route, boarding the Sayaji Express to Mumbai after flights were fully booked. However, the all-rounder’s train journey from Ahmedabad to his home turned into a memorable and amusing experience.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Dube revealed that he kept his train journey under wraps as he was ‘worried’ whether fans would recognise him during the trip. He added that he covered his face with a mask, wore a cap, and went straight to the upper berth after boarding the train to avoid being recognised.
“Me, my wife and a friend decided to take a train. 3rd AC tickets were available, so we decided to book them. Everyone we spoke to was worried, family and friends. What if someone recognised me at the station or inside the train?” the all-rounder said.
“I wore a cap, a mask and a full-sleeved T-shirt. It was a 5:10 a.m. train, so we hoped there would not be many people on the platform,” he added.
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The reason behind Shivam Dube taking the train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai was to meet his two children, four-year-old son Ayaan and two-year-old daughter Mehwish, as they weren’t with him in Ahmedabad during the tournament and he was eager to return home quickly to meet them after the title triumph.
Dube’s Wife Steps In to Keep His Identity Hidden
Though the train journey was largely uneventful, a ticket examiner briefly suspected Dube’s identity during a routine check. Shivam Dube revealed that his wife Anjum, stepped in to ensure that his husband’s identity was not revealed to the Train Ticket Examiner (TTE) and other passengers in the coach.
“I told my wife that I will wait in the car for five minutes before the train’s departure. After that, I will rush to board the train,” the 32-year-old said.
“Shivam Dube? Woh kaun hai, cricketer?” Anjum didn’t miss a beat: “No, no. Woh kahan se aayega (where will he come from)?” when TTE asked if the masked passenger was the Indian cricketer.
With the flights fully booked after India’s T20 World Cup-winning campaign, Shivam Dube’s simple train journey became an unexpected tale of disguise, secrecy, and a World Cup hero quietly making his way home.
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Shivam Dube Sought Police Protection
Shivam Dube slept for 8 hours throughout the train journey and got down at Borivali station in Mumbai, where he sought police protection to escort him home. He revealed that police were themselves surprised by the unusual request, as they did not expect a World Cup-winning cricketer to arrive quietly by train.
“At night, I got down from the berth but no one recognised me on the way to the washroom and back. The train trip was smooth but I was worried about getting down at Borivali in broad daylight. I couldn’t have escaped attention there,” the all-rounder added.
“They thought I was landing at the airport but were surprised when I told them that I was travelling by train. I was provided a police escort so things were easy and the exit was smooth,” he concluded.
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Shivam Dube finished the tournament as India’s fourth-highest run-getter with 235 runs, including a fifty, at an average of 39.16 and an impressive strike rate of 169.06 in nine matches.
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