Former South African pacer Dale Steyn heaped praise on Jasprit Bumrah following India’s thrilling seven-run win over England in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal. India scored 253/7, and England fought hard but were restricted to 246/7.
Steyn was amazed by Bumrah’s execution under pressure, especially his two decisive death overs, which conceded just 14 runs. He said if not for Bumrah, England would have chased down the total.
“I don’t know how Bumrah does it, honestly. This guy is incredible. That amount of pressure, and he does it all the time. Not once every now and then, he does this all the time. Take his two overs away, and England would have won the game by an over,” Steyn said on AB de Villiers’ YouTube channel.
AB de Villiers also praised Bumrah, highlighting his ability to play the situation and trust his skills. De Villiers lauded Hardik Pandya for his brilliant 19th over and credited Suryakumar Yadav for leaving the final over to Shivam Dube.
“His biggest strength is that he plays what’s in front of him. Everyone has game plans and blueprints. Bumrah sees the situation and backs himself. It’s all about believing in his ability and executing when it matters most,” De Villiers said.
He added, “If it wasn’t for overs 16, 18 Bumrah and then Pandya, England would have won this game. Kudos to SKY. Leaving the final over to a player not in form was a huge risk, but it worked.”
Steyn and De Villiers also credited Hardik Pandya, noting that the three overs from Bumrah and Pandya conceded only 23 runs at the back end. Hardik’s 19th over tilted the game in India’s favor, making it easier for Shivam Dube to defend the final over.
“I have to give credit to Hardik. It was the flattest wicket, and he bowled an incredible over when it mattered most, making it easy for Shivam Dube in the final over,” De Villiers added.
