Sachin Tendulkar's words put a smile on Shivam Dube's face

Shivaji Park Lions'all-rounder Shivam Dube hits out during the TTML final against Triumph Knights on Wednesday

Shivaji Park Lions all-rounder Shivam Dube, who scored an unbeaten 33 off just 12 balls, but failed to hit a boundary off the last delivery in the final over against Triumph Knights in the T20 Mumbai League (TTML) final on Wednesday, was gutted by the defeat, but cricket icon and TTML ambassador Sachin Tendulkar's post-match words put a smile on his face.

Dube, who was adjudged Man of the Series, was the fourth-highest run-getter in the tournament with 213 runs. He was also the joint top wicket-taker (12) with SoBo SuperSonics pacer Badre Alam. "After the match, Sachin sir told me to keep improving and working hard. He also said that more than winning and losing, the way I played was very important. He said that I played really well and he was happy how I scored in the last over," Dube told mid-day yesterday.

Asked about failing to connect the final ball, Dube, 24, added: "I did not expect to miss that ball, but all credit to the opposition. They had a plan and were successful." Dube first grabbed eyeballs during his Ranji Trophy debut last December in the quarter-final against Karnataka at Nagpur. He picked a fifer and scored a half-century as well. He continued in the same vein at the TTML, but one ball off pacer Shashank Singh changed things.

"This is what cricket is all about. One team need to win and the other has to lose, but both teams gave their best. TK were a bit lucky that they won the final off the last ball. I was a bit unlucky. That ball could have been an edge and raced to the boundary," Dube said.

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