Legendary South African pacer Dale Steyn has praised Tushar Deshpande for his exceptional bowling at the death against Gujarat Titans, which ensured Rajasthan Royals’ second win of IPL 2026. Deshpande had only 11 runs to defend in the final over at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, but stunned everyone, including Steyn, giving away only three as RR clinched a last-ball thriller by seven runs.
Styen specifically credited Deshpande for nailing his deliveries at the desired length and stuck to his plan to execute it brilliantly. The former South African cricketer believes that it must have been extremely difficult for the RR pacer to hold his nerves in the last over, where both teams scored more than 200 runs, but pulling it off, Deshpande showed everyone his class.
“The final over bowled by Tushar Deshpande was exceptional. He executed his yorkers perfectly under pressure, did not give any chances to a player like Rashid Khan to find the boundary, and he ensured his team did not suffer any hiccups in the final over of a 200-plus run chase. It is very difficult for a bowler to stay calm in such a high-pressure situation because a lot of things go through your mind. But to ensure your plans are executed perfectly without feeling the pressure is a rare skill,” Steyn said via JioStar.
𝐀𝐁𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐓𝐄 𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐌𝐀!🙌🏻🤯#TATAIPL2026 #GTvsRR #TATAIPL pic.twitter.com/flMTU9jPtU
— Star Sports Kannada (@StarSportsKan) April 4, 2026
“Tushar bowled four inch-perfect yorkers, then he changed his line and delivered the length ball, and by doing that, he baited Rashid Khan into hitting a big shot on that delivery, and he ended up getting caught on the boundary line. Wonderful display of game sense. Tushar Deshpande bowled in a fearless manner, and this bowling performance will ensure that the Indian selectors don’t take their eyes off him this IPL season,” the veteran pacer added.
After a confidence-building performance in Ahmedabad, Deshpande will be looking to prove his class once again as RR take on Mumbai Indians in their next game at the ACA Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday, April 07.
