'Cricket is cricket but in India, it’s the people that make it so amazing' - Dale Steyn on his IPL experience

Dale Steyn recently retired from all forms of cricket. His career reached tremendous heights during the 18 years he played professional cricket. In that time, Steyn had also made a name for himself in India. 

Through the IPL, the country has treated several overseas players as stars. Steyn is one of the most loved cricketers in India. In a recent interaction, the fast-bowler was asked to talk about his time in the cash-rich league and if he made memories which he is going to cherish for the rest of his life. He was one of the few players who played in the league from the inaugural till the 2020 season. 

“It was a long time and there are memories to last a lifetime. Just silly things like leaving practice and trying to get onto the bus, or arriving at an airport and being completely mobbed by people. Cricket is cricket, you can play a competitive game on the weekend against a good player, you know, and you can get that same sense of feeling in a club game, but in India, it’s the people that make it so amazing and different,” Steyn was quoted as saying by RMS Advisory Global’s website. 

Dale Steyn expresses that staying in the IPL elevated his stature 

Steyn made his IPL debut for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first matches of the inaugural season. He then had stints with Sunrisers Hyderabad, the now-defunct franchises of Deccan Chargers and Gujarat Lions. He later returned to Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he played his last match in 2020. He took 97 wickets from 95 matches, with an average of 25.86 and a strike rate of 22.43. The 38-year-old also had a good economy rate of 6.92. 

He further said that while staying in India he felt like a rockstar. He noted that in England he felt like his status was elevated from what it actually was. “Your skill-set is to play cricket but there you find yourself dealing with pictures, and press and people critiquing you for the way you dress and your hairstyle rather than the way you bowl your slower ball,” Steyn added. The former pacer concluded by saying that he loved the IPL and will always cherish the memories he made here.