Asia Cup 2025: Shivam Dube Reveals Gautam Gambhir's Inspiring Mantra Before India-Pakistan Clash

Shivam Dube said he carries Gautam Gambhir’s message to treat every game for India as a chance to do something miraculous, stressing that whether it is Pakistan, UAE or any other opponent, each match holds equal importance.

India began their Asia Cup 2025 campaign in Dubai with a commanding nine-wicket win over hosts United Arab Emirates, underlining their strength with an all-round performance. Despite the gulf in class, Dube insisted the team does not view any fixture as a warm-up, emphasising the pride of wearing the national jersey.

“Whenever we play for India, we don’t consider any match as a warm-up match. It’s about pride to play for the country,” Dube said in the post-match press conference. “Be it against UAE or Pakistan, every game is important for me. Gauti bhai always said this: whenever you represent India, it is a chance to do something miraculous.”

The Mumbai all-rounder, who contributed with both bat and ball, highlighted the value of playing together after a break. “As a team it was really good to play together after a long time,” he added.

Dube has spoken before about Gambhir’s impact since taking over as India’s head coach earlier this year. In a BCCI video shared before the tournament, he remarked: “Whenever you play for your country, you have the opportunity to do something new. So it was about making use of that training and trying to become a better cricketer.”

While Gambhir’s influence has clearly helped India sharpen their focus, there are contrasting voices about the level of competition in the Asia Cup. Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was blunt in his assessment, calling the tournament “a curtain, not a curtain raiser” for the 2026 T20 World Cup.

“Even against Afghanistan, unless India are restricted to 155, no one can realistically chase 170+. This Asia Cup is likely to be one-sided,” Ashwin said, pointing to the gap between India and other Asian teams outside Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

For now, though, India remains determined to carry forward Gambhir’s philosophy. Every outing, regardless of the opponent, is seen as an opportunity to improve, to build momentum, and to do something extraordinary for the country.

As Dube put it, the message is simple: when you wear the India jersey, there are no small games.