In TATA IPL 2026's first double-header, Delhi Capitals secured a dominant victory over Mumbai Indians in the day game, while Rajasthan Royals snatched a tense win over Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad powered by Tushar Deshpande's final over. Dale Steyn and Sanjay Bangar spotlighted RR's win, Deshpande's bowling, Riyan Parag's captaincy and DC's Sameer Rizvi's crucial 90-run knock against MI on a slow pitch.
Dale Steyn shared his thoughts on Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals:
"This match between GT and RR is easily the best game of TATA IPL 2026. In the latter half of the season, when the playoff spots will be decided, GT will look at this match and wonder how many opportunities they had to win it. But they did not capitalize and let the match slip away. RR are going to be really happy with this win. Their last victory against CSK, they did not have to work hard to secure it. But here against GT, the match went down to the final over and RR were forced to do everything they could to seal the win. Last season, Rajasthan had a heartbreaker of an IPL season. They lost matches by small margins. They missed out on golden opportunities to seal the win. They could not convert the chances into victories. But this season, RR is looking like a different team. A side that is determined to try every trick up their sleeve to ensure they don't go empty-handed without sealing the win. This hard-fought victory over GT will have a huge positive impact on the RR players in their upcoming games."
On how Tushar Deshpande outsmarted Rashid Khan in the final over:
"The final over bowled by Tushar Deshpande was exceptional. He executed his Yorkers perfectly under pressure, did not give any chances to a player like Rashid Khan to find the boundary and he ensured his team did not suffer any hiccups in the final over of a 200-plus run chase. It is very difficult for a bowler to stay calm in such a high-pressure situation because a lot of things go through your mind. But, to ensure your plans are executed perfectly without feeling the pressure is a rare skill. Tushar bowled four inch-perfect Yorkers, then he changed his line and delivered the length ball and by doing that, he baited Rashid Khan into hitting a big shot on that delivery and he ended up getting caught on the boundary line. Wonderful display of game sense. Tushar Deshpande bowled in a fearless manner and this bowling performance will ensure that the Indian selectors don't take their eyes off him this IPL season."
Sanjay Bangar praised the way Riyan Parag handled the pressure:
"Riyan Parag deserves the credit for his amazing captaincy in this match against GT. It is not an easy job being a skipper, especially when you have tons of bowling options to choose from and you find yourself in a high-pressure situation. Riyan clearly trusted Tushar Deshpande to bowl the final over and when a captain chooses you to bowl an over that's a do or die one, then you have to do well. If you don't, your team will lose. It is important for the skipper to motivate the bowler when asking him to do such a tough job. You have to constantly tell them that you can do it and Tushar Deshpande lived upto the expectations by soaking in all the pressure and bowled the best over of his cricket career. Once you get that kind of trust and faith from your skipper, it is a wonderful feeling. Every time Rajasthan finds themselves in a nail-biting situation, Riyan Parag will go towards Tushar Deshpande because he has done it once and can do it again. So brilliant from the captain, great execution from the bowler. The celebration at the end tells us how hungry RR was for this win."
On how Ravi Bishnoi uses just two deliveries to trouble batters:
"Ravi Bishnoi rarely bowls the leg break. He relies on just two deliveries - the googly and the one that goes straight on. The googly is his stock ball. He has limited variety, but he is very effective and accurate. He gets wickets when batters sit back to cut him, as Rahul Tewatia did. They end up edging the ball but, Bishnoi works well within his limitations. He doesn't have a conventional leg spinner, but his figures of 4 for 41 proved his class."
On Sameer Rizvi's 90-run knock against Mumbai Indians:
"That knock of 90 runs was simply outstanding from Sameer Rizvi. The pitch was slow and there was no pace on the ball. So it was an amazing knock, especially at an age where most batters just stand and swing their bat. Rizvi used the crease well, moved his feet nicely, and countered the slow deliveries brilliantly. The areas he found to plays his shots were a treat to watch. We all know how good Rizvi is against spin. But in the previous game against LSG, he also played fast bowling really well and against MI, he dominated Shardul Thakur and Corbin Bosch. That is a clear improvement from his CSK days. For someone who grew up batting on slow, low tracks, this kind of fearless batting is wonderful to watch from an Indian player."
