A father can do anything, even if it costs him to take a train, risking being mobbed, just because the flights were booked. This is about Shivam Dube, the underrated and silent match winner of the Indian team. Dube, the father of two kids, four-year-old son Ayaan and two-year-old daughter Mehwish, was playing the final in Ahmedabad. His wife, Anjum Khan, came to the stadium along with his friend to support him.

 

But after the match, they realized that all the immediate flights from Ahmedabad to Mumbai were booked. So they took the train, which is faster compared to a car. Speaking to the Indian Express, Dube said that he booked three AC tickets for a morning train from Ahmedabad. He said,

 

"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. Me, my wife and a friend decided to take a train. 3rd AC tickets were available, so we decided to book them."

 

"What if someone recognized me?" Dube had his answers ready

 

Shivam Dube is no doubt a star. In a country where cricket is no less than a religion, a subtle similarity in names can race the heart. But Shivam Dube was prepared. The first blessing was the morning train. His train was at 5:10 am, which pretty much dodged the crowd.

 

Apart from that, he came prepared—cap, mask, full-sleeved T-shirt—waiting in the car five minutes before the train's arrival so that he could simply hop in. It was a foolproof plan with a little bit of assistance from his wife. 

 

"I told my wife that I will wait in the car till five minutes before the train’s departure. After that, I will rush to board the train. I told my wife that I will wait in the car till five minutes before the train’s departure. After that, I will rush to board the train."

 

Read also: Gautam Gambhir Thanks Dravid After India’s T20 World Cup Win

 

Unlucky TTE in train

 

Dube had taken the upper berth. After he entered the train, he took the upper berth quickly. And the TTE came to check; Dube was almost caught, but his wife played it smooth. She said,

 

"Shivam Dube? Woh kaun hai, cricketer?" TTE asked, and Anjum replied, “No, no. Woh kahan se aayega (where will he come from)?"

 

Precautions in Mumbai

 

Dube stated that his journey in the train was smooth. he had to get up to use the washroom, but nobody recognized him. But he knew escaping the crowd in Mumbai was not possible.

 

The police were expecting him at the airport. But plans changed when Dube arrived at the railway station. He said,

 

“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 down at Borivali in broad daylight. I couldn’t have escaped attention there."

 

He added,

 

“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."