Steyn finished his IPL career with 97 wickets in 95 matches, but his value was never measured by wickets alone. At his best, the Proteas great shaped matches with pace, accuracy and pressure.
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Deccan Chargers (2010) – 3-18
Steyn struck early for RCB against Deccan Chargers in Nagpur on 12 April 2010. He took 3-18 from four overs, removing Adam Gilchrist, Herschelle Gibbs and Tirumalasetti Suman as Deccan slipped to 14-3.
Rohit Sharma’s 51 helped Deccan recover to 151-6 before they bowled RCB out for 138 to win by 13 runs.
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Deccan Chargers vs Mumbai Indians (2012) – 3-12
Steyn was outstanding for Deccan Chargers against Mumbai Indians in Visakhapatnam on 9 April 2012. Defending 138-9, he took 3-12 from four overs, including one maiden, and kept Mumbai under pressure deep into the chase. Rohit Sharma’s unbeaten 73 still carried MI to 142-5 off the final ball for a five-wicket win.
Deccan Chargers vs Mumbai Indians (2012) – 2-10
Later that month, Steyn produced another tight spell against Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium on 29 April 2012. Deccan were bowled out for 100, but Steyn gave them a chance with 2-10 from four overs. He struck with the first ball of Mumbai’s chase and later removed Dinesh Karthik, although MI reached 101-5 in 18.1 overs to win by five wickets.
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Deccan Chargers vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (2012) – 3-8
Steyn played a major role in Deccan’s nine-run win over RCB in Hyderabad on 20 May 2012. Defending 132-7, he returned 3-8 from four overs and dismissed Chris Gayle and Tillakaratne Dilshan early in the chase. RCB finished on 123-9, with the result denying them a playoff place.
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Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Pune Warriors (2013) – 3-11
Steyn helped Sunrisers Hyderabad mark their IPL debut with a win against Pune Warriors in Hyderabad on 5 April 2013. Defending 126-6, he took 3-11 from 3.5 overs as Pune were bowled out for 104. Sunrisers won by 22 runs, with Steyn’s late wickets closing out the chase.
Photo: AFP PHOTO / Noah SEELAM / Gallo Images
