New Delhi, April 28, 2026
Former South African bowler Dale Steyn believes the ongoing season IPL season has tilted in favour of fast bowlers, pointing out that batters are facing a genuine fear because of technical changes and execution from the seamers.
Observing the impact of premier quicks like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Kagiso Rabada, and Jofra Archer, who are dominating the season with wickets and test-match-length bowling, Steyn said their consistency in hitting the right areas has left batters short of answers.
“Watching Bhuvi, Hazlewood, throw KG and Archer in there too, there’s a genuine fear from batters. Not because they’re scared, but they know exactly where these greats are going to bowl and don’t practice enough in that area to have answers,” Steyn wrote in a post on X.
He explained that the batter’s struggle is largely technical, with players unable to adapt mid-tournament. “The fear is technical skill. It’s too deep into the tournament to change now. Watch these bowlers continue to dominate,” he added.
Steyn also highlighted the importance of disciplined length, a hallmark of successful fast bowling in the format. “It’s called a hard length for a reason,” he added.
Steyn’s remarks come at a time when Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fast bowling due to Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood completely dominated against Delhi Capitals (DC) at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday. Hazlewood finished with great figures of 4-12, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar also ended with 3-5, which ensured RCB bowled out DC for 75, the lowest total of this season. The 2025 champions chased down the total in just 6.3 overs while losing a single wicket.
Pacers are leading the charts for most wickets in IPL 2026, as all the top five players are seamers, which points out their influence in the current season. Bhuvneshwar currently holds the purple cap with 14 wickets in 8 matches.
While CSK’s Anshul Kamboj and SRH’s Eshan Malinga are placed at second and third with 14 wickets each. Meanwhile, Archer has taken 13 wickets and is positioned at fourth place, followed by Prince Yadav, who also took 13 scalps.(Agency)
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