Veteran cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has reacted to news of India all-rounder Shivam Dube commuting by train following the 2026 T20 World Cup final. Hours after India defeated New Zealand in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on March 8, Dube, accompanied by his wife and a friend, boarded a train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai. The moment went viral on social media, with fans praising Dube’s simplicity. The all-rounder later revealed he was anxious to reunite with his son and father and chose the 5:10 am train over waiting for the official team flight.
Reacting to the hype during a RevSportz event, Ashwin dismissed the “big deal” surrounding the journey, stating: “I’m seeing news pieces on how Shivam Dube traveled by train. I don’t want to read pieces like that. What’s the big deal? I have traveled by train.”
Ashwin elaborated his opinion further. He wants star cricketers, who is always in the spotlight and under scrutiny, to get the chance to enjoy small joys of life.
“I would love for us… for international cricketers to be able to go to the chaiwalas and have chai with the people. In fact, we have forgotten that life’s joys are in very small moments,” he added.
Dube had boarded the Mumbai-bound Sayaji Nagari Express from Ahmedabad in the early hours of Monday, along with his wife Anjum and a friend.
To avoid being recognised by co-passengers, Dube reportedly wore a cap, mask and a full-sleeved T-shirt as he boarded the train at 5.10 am and climbed onto his upper berth after entering an AC three-tier coach.
An official said that after noticing his name on the train reservation chart, a ticket checker wondered if he was the cricketer Dube. However, his wife deftly handled the situation, saying why the cricketer would travel by train.
A Government Railway Police official said that before the train reached Borivali, Dube sought police assistance to ensure his exit was as discreet as it had been in Ahmedabad.
Policemen in plain clothes were sent to escort the cricketer to his vehicle outside the station to avoid drawing public attention, the official added.
(With PTI Inputs)