Watch: IPL 2026: 'Not scared...'- Dale Steyn talks about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's batting in RR vs MI match

Heading into the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 between the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, the most entertaining contest was between the premier pacer, Jasprit Bumrah, and the 15-year-old left-handed opening batter, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. 

And on the very first delivery of the faceoff, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi used the power and flicked the leg-sided delivery into the leg stump with a massive back lift into the stands for a huge six. On the fourth delivery, he powered the Gujarat-born into the leg side for another massive over boundary.

Dale Steyn reflects on Sooryavanshi’s batting vs Jasprit Bumrah

The former South Africa bowler, Dale Steyn, reckoned how Sooryavanshi created fear among the bowlers, and even the great Bumrah missed his mark and travelled outside the ground.

“He has created and instilled the fear into bowlers that he is going to hit them for boundaries. That delivery from Bumrah. Go and look at that delivery. That’s in the slot. That’s so rare of Bumrah. So, even Bumrah, the great Bumrah, is thinking in the back of his mind that he doesn’t get it wrong. Because if I get it wrong, this guy is going to hit me for six.” Steyn expressed on ESPNcricinfo.

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“Whereas I feel the thinking is, if you think like that, more often than not, you actually get it wrong. You can see when he has hit for a six, he has almost to laugh afterwards, and go, I knew that was going to happen if I got it wrong, and that’s exactly what happened. And this kid’s not scared.” The Protea pacer added.

Steyn also pointed out that in the future, the bowlers could try to drag the length back and go with the good length delivery. But he made it clear that they couldn’t just miss their plan.

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“If you miss a half volley, he is going to hit you out of the ground. So, drag your length back and hit the good length, and you might be on the money. Miss, and you are travelling the distance. It doesn't matter who you are, Bumrah or your joe avg every dayer, so that's fantastic batting.” The former SRH coach addressed.

The southpaw finished with 39 runs in just 14 deliveries at a strike rate of 278.57, thanks to one boundary and five over boundaries.

Fans react to Sooryavanshi’s batting vs Bumrah

Here is how the fans have reacted to the left-handed batter’s batting against Bumrah-