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Where is Shivang Kumar? Fan fume after Harsh Dubey got tonked by MI batters
Cricket Gully | April 30, 2026 1:39 AM CST

The Sunrisers Hyderabad squad selection against Mumbai Indians on April 29 came under scrutiny, especially after Shivang Kumar got replaced by Harsh Dubey. At the toss, the Sunrisers captain Pat Cummins announced that Kumar will be benched and Dube will come in.

 

And this selection did not sit well with the fans. Notably, Dube struggled from the very beginning. The Mumbai openers Wills Jacks and Ryan Rickelton targeted him throughout, with Jacks starting the onslaught with a six when Cummins introduced Dube in the fifth over. 

 

By the end of the over, he leaked 16 runs. Cummins trusted hi man and called in the seventh over. Both Jacks and Ryan Rickelton targeted him again, picking up singles and a boundary to milk 15 runs from the over. 

 

His 3rd over, that is,  the 12th over marked Rickelton's half century. He smashed two back-to-back sixes- a slog sweep and a massive 93-meter hit down the ground. Even Naman Dhir tried his hand against him and smashed a boundary in the final over for a fuller delivery.  

 

And after that, Cummins didn't dare to give him one. After three overs. Dube finished with 50 runs with a humongous economy of 16.66. Dube struggled with his length often, with Jacks and Rickleton taking advantage of it. 

 

Read also: Ryan Rickelton grabs opportunity, breaks Sanath Jayasuriya's record with 44-ball century for MI

 

Why did Shivang Kumar miss out?

 

Watching that, the fans rose with the obvious question: Why is Shivang Kumar not playing? Kumar was in the impact subs list who didn't get a call. The boy has his best figures of 3/33 against Punjab Kings, dismantling the top order. 

 

Against Chennai Super Kings on April 18, he delivered a "brave" and economical spell of 1/18 in 3 overs, taking the key wicket of Dewald Brevis. In his last two outings before being dropped today, he proved expensive, conceding 28 runs in 2 overs against Delhi Capitals and 31 runs in 2 overs against Rajasthan Royals without taking a wicket.

 

Cummins did not explain the reason. but it seemed like a tactical reason more than a punishment due to being off-form. 

 

First innings summary

 

Meanwhile, MI posted 243 runs, losing 5 wickets. The bulk has been scored by Rickelton (1438) with amicable contributions from Jacks (46) and captain Hardik Pandya (31*).

 

Eshan Malinga has been SRH's pick bowler with one wicket and an economy of 7.25. Apart from that, PRaful Hinge took two wickets for 54 and Sakib Hussain took one for 39.


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