Shivam Dube, one of the top performers in India’s winning campaign in the T20 World Cup 2026, thought a train ride in disguise would keep him incognito – until an interaction with a ticket checker almost revealed his identity.
The all-rounder travelled from Ahmedabad to Mumbai in a third AC train coach after the final because flights were not available in the early morning; he chose the train to travel.
“There was no flight available, so I decided to take a train from Ahmedabad early in the morning to Mumbai. We could have gone by road, but the train was faster,” said Dube.
Dube boarded an early morning train with his wife and a friend. They booked seats in the 3AC coach as he wanted to return home quickly to meet his children – four-year-old son Ayaan and two-year-old daughter Mehwish.
“Me, my wife and a friend decided to take a train. 3rd AC tickets were available, so we decided to book them. Everyone we spoke to was worried. What if someone recognised me at the station or inside the train?”
To avoid being recognised by fans, the 32-year-old tried to hide his identity. He wore a full sleeve T-Shirt, a cap and a mask. He waited in the car until a few minutes before the train arrived.
“I wore a cap, a mask and a full-sleeved T-shirt. It was a 5.10 am train, so we hoped there would not be many people on the platform,” he said.
Then he went to the platform, boarded the train, and climbed to the top berth. Talking about the journey, DUbe said he hoped there would not be many people at the station because the train was at 05:10 AM.
“I told my wife that I will wait in the car for five minutes before the train’s departure. After that, I will rush to board the train,” Dube said.
The trip lasted 8 hours. Shivam Dube was mostly worried about being recognised when the train reached Mumbai during the daytime. Once he was inside the train, the ticket checker came, and his wife handled the situation.
“Shivam Dube? Who is he, cricketer?” TTE asked, and Anjum replied, “No, no. Woh kahan se aayega (where will he come from)?”
Shivam Dube said the train journey was smooth, and he managed to hide his identity, but was aware that the situation might not be the same in Mumbai. After reaching the station, he was escorted out by the police so that he could leave safely without any attractions.
“At night, I got down from the berth, but no one recognised me on the way to the washroom and back. The train trip was smooth, but I was worried about getting off at Borivali in broad daylight. I couldn’t have escaped attention there,” he said.
“They (police) thought I was landing at the airport, but were surprised when I told them that I was travelling by train. I was provided a police escort, so things were easy and the exit was smooth,” he added.
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