Former South Africa speedster Dale Steyn has suggested that Rajasthan Royals opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is already creating a psychological advantage for himself in IPL cricket—one that can rattle even elite bowlers. Steyn highlighted how, during RR’s match against Mumbai Indians on Tuesday, Sooryavanshi’s attacking reputation appeared to force Jasprit Bumrah into an unusually cautious mindset, leading to a costly misjudgement.
Steyn’s view: fear factor behind Sooryavanshi’s batting
- Steyn pointed to the early impact of Sooryavanshi’s intent, saying the youngster’s approach has “created and instilled fear” in bowlers that he will punish them for boundaries.
- He specifically referenced the first-ball moment in the clash versus MI, when Sooryavanshi struck Bumrah over mid-on—an aggressive statement that Steyn believes shapes how opposition bowlers plan their deliveries.
- Steyn said the rarity of this was that even Bumrah, typically so precise, seemed to be thinking twice, as if weighing the risk of going wrong against the danger of being hit for six.
- To illustrate that mental shift, Steyn noted Bumrah’s delivery was “in the slot,” and emphasised how unusual it is for a bowler of Bumrah’s calibre to miss his line or length in such a way.
- Steyn added that when a batter is backed by that kind of fearless mindset, bowlers who start thinking in that manner more often than not end up delivering the wrong ball.
- He further explained that even after Sooryavanshi struck for six, Bumrah appeared to react as though he knew the outcome if he got it wrong—something Steyn linked directly to the pressure the opener generates.
- Steyn concluded that Sooryavanshi is not intimidated by anyone, arguing that if a bowler strays even slightly—like offering a half-volley—the opener can punish it immediately, regardless of reputation.
- In Steyn’s words, the safest option for bowlers is to stick to their best length; otherwise, the batter’s aggression turns missed opportunities into big distances and big scoring.
Beyond the psychological angle, the match itself underlined Steyn’s point about Sooryavanshi’s impact. RR powered their innings with an explosive 80-run opening partnership between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, going on to defeat Mumbai Indians by 27 runs in a rain-affected encounter at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday.
That triumph also marked RR’s third consecutive win in the IPL 2026 season. Sooryavanshi finished with 39 runs from only 14 balls, striking two sixes off Bumrah and adding three more maximums against other bowlers. Jaiswal, meanwhile, stayed unbeaten on 77 off 32 deliveries as RR set a platform that MI could not overhaul in the curtailed game.
