Former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn had high praise for Rajasthan Royals bowler Tushar Deshpande who defended 11 runs in the last over in Gujarat Titans’ chase on Saturday, saying that the Indian selectors will have a close eye on the pacer in the IPL.
“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 on Star Sports.
“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,” he added.
Bought for Rs 6.50 crore, he has established himself as a key bowler for RR, building on his previous success as a leading wicket-taker that held him get into the Indian team in 2024 for a T20I series against Zimbabwe. RR won the thrilling match by six runs and Steyn termed it the game of the season so far.
“This match between GT and RR is easily the best game of IPL 2026. In the latter half of the season, when the playoff spots will be decided, GT will look at this match and wonder how many opportunities they had to win it. But they did not capitalize and let the match slip away. RR are going to be really happy with this win. Their last victory against CSK, they did not have to work hard to secure it. But here against GT, the match went down to the final over and RR were forced to do everything they could to seal the win,” he said.
“Last season, Rajasthan had a heartbreaker of an IPL season. They lost matches by small margins. They missed out on golden opportunities to seal the win. They could not convert the chances into victories. But this season, RR is looking like a different team,” he added.
(With agency inputs)
