In a crucial IPL 2026 match, Chennai Super Kings' Shivam Dube came under fire for his slow 26-run innings off 23 balls against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. His sluggish performance, which hampered CSK's scoring rate, sparked immense frustration on social media, with fans comparing his pace to that of a 'turtle' and questioning his intent.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) middle-order Shivam Dube has come under fire for his slow innings in a crucial IPL 2026 match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai on Monday, May 18.
After opting to bat first by captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, the CSK posted a respectable total of 180/7 in 20 overs. After Sanju Samson’s fiery 27-run cameo at the top, Dewald Brevis (44) and Kartik Sharma (32) kept the momentum ticking with aggressive individual cameos. Shivam Dube’s 23-ball 26 added to the total but severely drained the team's scoring rate during the crucial middle and death overs.
For SRH, skipper Pat Cummins led the bowling attack with figures of 3/28 at an economy rate of 7 in his spell of four overs. Sakib Hussain picked up two wickets while conceding 34 runs at an economy rate of 8.50 in 4 overs. Apart from Cummins and Hussain, Praful Hinge (1/37) and Eshan Malinga (1/26) were the other wicket-takers for the visitors.
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Shivam Dube’s Sluggish Knock Under Scrutiny
As the Chennai Super Kings set a target of 181 for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, all eyes were turned to the stark contrast in intent within the CSK batting order, especially Shivam Dube, who found himself under a harsh spotlight. The left-handed batter, who is known for his ability to play spin, looked thoroughly out of sync against a highly disciplined SRH bowling strategy.
Walking in to bat after skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s dismissal at 100/1, Shivam Dube joined Dewald Brevis at the crease. The southpaw was expected to carry forward the aggressive foundation laid by the top order, but he immediately hit a roadblock. He struggled against Cummins and Malinga’s disciplined shorter lengths and slower-ball variations, finding it extremely difficult to manipulate the field or rotate the strike.
In his 59-run stand with Dewald Brevis, Dube contributed 20 off 22 balls, meaning Brevis had to shoulder the heavy lifting of the scoring rate while starvation of the strike frequently broke the young South African’s batting rhythm before his dismissal at 159/5.
Shivam Dube’s stay at the crease ended after he was dismissed at 164/6, clean-bowled by a perfectly disguised slower delivery from Sakib Hussain in the 19th over. The Sourpaw’s slow innings impacted the CSK’s scoring rate, as it went down from 11.23 runs per over at the 10-over mark to a much more manageable 9 runs per over by the end of the innings.
From 100/4 in 11.3 overs to 180/7 in 20 overs, CSK could only manage 80 runs in the final 8.3 overs, heavily exposing their struggles to accelerate at the death.
Shivam Dube’s Innings Slower Than ‘Turtle’ - Fans Outraged
Shivam Dube’s slugging performance in a crucial clash against the Sunrisers Hyderabad has sparked criticism on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), with fans and cricket enthusiasts expressing their immense frustration over his lack of intent in a high-stakes encounter.
Taking to their X handles, fans and cricket enthusiasts criticized Dube for his sluggish strike rate, calling him a liability, comparing his pace to a turtle, questioning CSK’s strategy, and urging the team to give opportunities to more attacking options like Sarfaraz Khan in such crucial matches.
In IPL 2026, Shivam Dube has aggregated 223 runs at an average of 37.16 and a strike rate of 145.75 in 12 matches.
Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings are currently sitting in the fifth spot with six wins in 12 matches, earning 12 points and having a net run rate (NRR) of +0.027.
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