What better time to show your six hitting abilities than a day before the IPL auction? For uncapped players, it's important to grab the attention of the scouts which can help them earn crores in the cash-rich cricket league.
Mumbai all-rounder Shivam Dube did not wait to play a T-20 tournament to showcase his talent. Instead, he grabbed the opportunity in a Ranji Trophy match against Baroda to hit five consecutive sixes in an over. The bowler on the receiving end was left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh who kept bowling flat, quick and wide on the final day of their encounter.
The 25-year-old Dube kept clearing the area between long-on and mid-wicket. He went from 45 to 75 runs within the span of five deliveries. Dube missed the opportunity to equal Ravi Shastri's record of six sixes in an over in the Ranji Trophy as Singh bowled the last delivery in the over down the leg side.
Last year, the BCCI scheduled the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, a regional T20 tournament in the country, before the IPL auction, providing players a platform to showcase their talent and the scouts an opportunity to find new recruits. But with the auction happening earlier this year, Dube chose the Ranji Trophy to deliver just in time to be in the limelight.
''Yes, Shivam is a very talented player and we have seen how long he hits sixes,'' Mumbai skipper Siddhesh Lad said after the match. ''I'm sure IPL teams are looking after him and he will go at a good price.''
The IPL auctions will take place at Jaipur on Tuesday starting at 1430 IST. 350 players are set to go under the hammer to feature in the next edition of the Indian Premier League.