India’s triumphant T20 World Cup 2026 campaign created countless memorable moments, but one of the most unexpected stories after the final involved all-rounder Shivam Dube. Fresh from helping India lift the trophy, the cricketer chose a surprisingly simple way to return home—by traveling in a 3rd AC coach on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Sayaji Express along with his wife Anjum Khan.
At a time when the entire nation was celebrating India’s victory, Dube’s quiet and low-key journey home captured the imagination of fans. It showed a different side of the star all-rounder -one driven not by glamour or convenience, but by a simple desire to return to his family as quickly as possible.
Why Shivam Dube chose a train journey after India’s T20 World Cup triumph?
The reason behind Dube’s unusual travel choice was largely practical. Following India’s emphatic win in the T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad, the city witnessed a surge in travel demand. Thousands of fans, officials, and players were trying to leave the city at the same time, making flights extremely difficult to secure.
All flights from Ahmedabad to Mumbai were completely booked, leaving Dube with limited options. While traveling by road was possible, it would have taken significantly longer. To reach home faster, the all-rounder decided to board the early morning 5:10 am Ahmedabad-Mumbai Sayaji Express instead.
However, the urgency behind the decision went beyond convenience. Dube was eager to return home to his young children – his four-year-old son Ayaan and two-year-old daughter Mehwish. After spending weeks away during the tournament, he simply wanted to reunite with his family as soon as possible.
For Dube, the train offered the quickest solution, even if it meant traveling in a regular coach rather than the luxury arrangements international cricketers are often accustomed to.
Traveling incognito and the close call
While the plan to take the train solved the travel problem, it created another challenge – avoiding recognition. With India’s T20 World Cup triumph dominating headlines, the last thing Dube wanted was to be surrounded by crowds of fans inside a train.
To stay unnoticed, he and his wife came up with a simple disguise. Dube wore a cap, a face mask, and a full-sleeved T-shirt to conceal his identity. At the railway station, he remained inside the car until just five minutes before departure to avoid attracting attention before quickly boarding the coach.
Once inside the train, he took additional precautions. Dube climbed onto the top berth and covered himself with a thick brown railway blanket, hoping to remain unnoticed for the entire journey.
The plan almost fell apart when the ticket collector arrived to verify passengers. Upon seeing the name Shivam Dube on the reservation chart, the TC became curious and asked, “Shivam Dube? Woh kaun hai, cricketer?”
In a moment of quick thinking, Dube’s wife Anjum calmly responded, “No, no. Woh kahan se aayega?” [How will he come here?]
Her confident reply convinced the ticket collector, who moved on without asking further questions. The couple breathed a sigh of relief as the most nerve-racking moment of the journey passed without incident.
The rest of the eight-hour trip remained largely uneventful. Dube managed to remain unnoticed by other passengers, even stepping down briefly from the berth during the night to use the washroom.
However, he knew the final challenge awaited at Borivali station in Mumbai. Arriving in broad daylight could easily expose his identity to commuters or cricket fans.
To avoid any complications, Dube contacted local authorities before the train reached the station. The police, initially surprised to learn that a World Cup hero was traveling by train, arranged a police escort to help him exit the station safely.
With their assistance, Dube quietly left the station and headed home to reunite with his children.
While his performances in the tournament – scoring 235 runs at a strike rate of 169 – made headlines, it was this simple and humble journey that won hearts across the country. In an era of luxury travel and celebrity attention, Dube’s quiet train ride home became a touching reminder of how even cricketing heroes sometimes just want to get back to their families like everyone else.
