No Flights Available: Shivam Dube Travels by Train in 3AC After World Cup Win
After India’s ICC Men's T20 World Cup victory, Shivam Dube quietly travelled from Ahmedabad to Mumbai by train to reach his family.
Indian cricketer Shivam Dube had a rather unusual journey home after India’s victory in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
For major tournaments like this, travel and accommodation are usually arranged by the International Cricket Council (ICC), often with support from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). But once the tournament ends, players often make their own travel plans.
After the celebrations in Ahmedabad, most players returned by charter flights. However, Dube could not find a flight to Mumbai as they were fully booked. Instead of waiting, he decided to take a train.
Eager to reach home and see his four-year-old son Ayaan and two-year-old daughter Mehwish, Dube booked 3rd AC train tickets. He travelled with his wife Anjum Khan and a close friend.
His family and friends worried fans might recognise him at the station. To stay unnoticed, Dube wore a cap, mask and long-sleeved T-shirt. He chose a 5:10 am train, arrived just minutes before departure, and boarded quickly with the help of a police escort.
During the journey, he stayed mostly out of sight on the top berth, and passengers had no idea a World Cup winner was travelling with them.
There was one tense moment when the ticket checker read the name on the ticket and asked, “Shivam Dube? The cricketer?”
Dube’s wife quickly replied, “No, no, where will he come from?” The ticket checker moved on.
Dube was also worried about being recognised while getting down at Borivali railway station, so he contacted the police again. Officers provided an escort and helped him exit safely. Later he joked that the police expected him to arrive at the airport, not by train.
Meanwhile, another controversy surfaced during the victory celebrations. A complaint was filed by a Pune-based lawyer against Hardik Pandya for allegedly disrespecting the Indian national flag by wrapping it around himself while celebrating with his girlfriend Mahieka Sharma.
Earlier, teammate Arshdeep Singh had also faced criticism for throwing the ball too hard at Daryl Mitchell during a match. Although he apologised, the International Cricket Council fined him 15% of his match fee and added one demerit point.
Since a T20I match fee for Indian players is around Rs. 3 lakh, the fine is estimated to be about Rs. 45,000.
