Irfan Pathan backed Donovan Ferreira to win matches for the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026. His remark comes ahead of the inaugural champions’ upcoming clash against the Mumbai Indians on Tuesday, April 7, at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.
The South African wicketkeeper-batter played RR’s first game of the season against the Gujarat Titans. He batted at No. 6 but was dismissed by compatriot Kagiso Rabada after scoring just one run in three balls. In the last game, he was among the Impact substitutes and was expected to be used with the bat. However, his services weren’t needed as only two wickets fell for the Riyan Parag-led side.
“Donovan Ferreira hasn’t scored runs yet. But he is that kind of batter. When his time comes, he can suddenly win you two matches back to back. That’s the kind of talent he has. He is very strong against fast bowling. He has missed out so far. He does have some trouble against spin,” Pathan said in a video on his YouTube channel.
The former India all-rounder also mentioned that Mumbai Indians’ talismanic speedster Jasprit Bumrah will have to nail his yorkers as Ferreira can punish anything on a length with his commendable power game.
“Most of the time when he comes in to bat, he will be up against a strong pace attack. When Bumrah comes on, even if it’s just one or two overs against Ferreira, you can be sure that Bumrah usually does not miss his yorkers, and he cannot afford to miss them either. Because against Donovan Ferreira, if a yorker is missed, he can hit it a long way. He is that powerful hitter, so he will be backed,” he observed.
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Pathan also highlighted the intriguing battle that Riyan Parag and Bumrah might have in Tuesday’s clash. Bumrah has bowled 21 balls to the all-rounder so far and conceded 17 runs. The Indian pacer has picked up Parag’s wicket once.
“Bumrah versus Riyan Parag. Look, Riyan Parag has scored 22 runs so far, hitting two boundaries. He hasn’t scored too many runs in these two matches. But this contest is very important because, as captain of Rajasthan Royals, Riyan Parag will want to play a long innings. Last time he faced Jasprit Bumrah, he got out to a bouncer. I consider Riyan Parag a very talented player, but he managed only 17 runs in front of Bumrah, playing perhaps 20 or 22 balls. His strike rate wasn’t very good, and he got out,” Pathan stated.
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Pathan wondered whether Parag would come out with a more conservative approach to counter Bumrah’s threat. The cricketer-turned-expert added that Bumrah could opt to target the stumps with fuller deliveries.
“So the question is, will he find a way to handle him? Should he not go with his usual over-attacking style and instead play normally? If he gets just one over in front of Bumrah, then he should handle it carefully. And if Bumrah comes at him again, then Bumrah will think about planning better, and this time he might target the stumps with fuller-length deliveries,” he concluded.
