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[Saba Sports News] Indian skipper Rohit Sharma recently revealed that South African pace legend Dale Steyn was the toughest bowler he has ever faced in his illustrious career. The 40-year-old Steyn, renowned for his steep bounce and movement at blistering speeds, remains one of the greatest fast bowlers of his generation. With a career tally of 699 wickets across all formats, his mastery over swing and seam movement made him a feared opponent in all conditions.
Rohit admitted to watching countless videos of Steyn in preparation before facing him. “I have gone and watched his videos like 100 times before I went in to bat. That was Dale Steyn. He is an absolute legend of the game. And what he has achieved in his career is just superb to watch. I have faced him many times. He was quick and swung the ball at that pace, which is not easy,” Rohit said in an interaction with Dubai Eye 103.8.
The 37-year-old also praised Steyn’s competitive spirit. “He was a fierce competitor. He went out there wanting to win every game and every session. It was nice to come up against him. Not that I had much success against him, but I enjoyed my battles,” he added.
Notably, Steyn dismissed Rohit only once in the 2013 Durban Test, bowling him out for a golden duck with a searing inswinger. In ODIs, Rohit has a strike rate of 63 against Steyn, and in T20Is, he has faced just four balls from the pacer, managing to hit him for a six.
Currently, Sharma is playing in the ongoing IPL 2024 for the Mumbai Indians (MI), scoring 349 runs from 13 innings at an average of 29.08 and a strike rate of 145.41. While Sharma has had an average season so far, he is gearing up to lead the Indian team for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and USA.