Losing close matches proved costly: RR’s Shubham Dubey

By Paritosh Pramanik

NAGPUR, May 27, 2025

THEY might have ended at the ninth spot this Indian Premier League season but Rajasthan Royals’ batter Nagpur’s Shubham Dubey feels overall the team played well in the tournament.

Hard-hitting batter Dubey was not happy with the end result but said the team management is proud of their overall performance.

Back in Nagpur after completion of Rajasthan Royals’ league matches, Dubey stated that his side scored 200 plus runs on several occasions but “somehow finished on the wrong side of the result.

“We really played well and scored runs in heaps. We scored 200 plus runs in several matches (5 matches) but could not end on the winning side.

Out of the five times Rajasthan Royals scored 200 plus runs they registered wins on just two occasions.

“We have a great batting line-up. Yashasvi Jaiswal and 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi both batted brilliantly but somehow we lacked finishing. That’s part and parcel of the game,” said Dubey while talking with ‘The Hitavada’.

On his personal performance, Dubey was a content man and said that batting position (7th or 8th) he bats it is very difficult to score big.

“I am happy with my performance. As I said, the entire team played well. The position I come to bat in, is a very crucial phase of innings. Still I tried my best in all matches,” said the left-handed batter who played nine matches, maximum this season.

“This year I got a lot of matches to play. The pressure was tremendous while playing in front of a packed house and against quality players. Coach (Rahul) Dravid sir also stated that my batting position is very crucial and I have done all that I could. He counselled me and kept me in a positive frame of mind,” said Dubey who scored 106 runs with a strike rate of 160.60. His highest score was unbeaten 34 and remained not out on four occasions hitting a total of six boundaries and eight sixes.

Dubey said had he hit those winning runs against Kolkata Knight Riders which they lost by one run, the story would have been different. We scored 20 runs in that over but I missed a shot and the result went KKR’s way.

Dubey visited Royal Cricket Association’s summer camp at Mecosabag ground and guided the budding players.

Officials of RCA including Irfan Rajjak, Rohit Kaishalwar, Kunal Bhumralkar and coach Alok Tiwari felicitated the RR batter.