There is always a conversation around the IPL about whether the money being paid for players is justified. We have seen how people sometimes fail to justify their price tags, with Venkatesh Iyer being the case in IPL 2025. The current RCB man crumbled under pressure at KKR, scoring 142 runs in 11 matches. So do gamers see price tags as a barrier? Well, Dale Steyn doesn’t believe that to be the case and used the example of Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya to make his point.
Read the full story
The discussion in JioStar was around CSK are spending big on unproven talents like Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma during the auction. Steyn said that while people may say the price could cause a problem, he feels it actually allows the players to do well.
The former South African pacer feels that the price tag is a reflection of their talent and the players are actually doing well to live up to the hype.
“Sometimes people think that money plays a role, as if it hinders the player. Oh, can you live up to that price tag? Now I think the opposite. I think when the players earn a lot more money. They look at their heroes. There is not a player in the Indian team who is not extremely rich. Okay, I’ll say it out loud.”
“That’s why they’re playing so well. So money is part of it now. It’s not something that holds you back and holds you back in terms of performance.”
“You just get paid and you play well. It’s almost reflected in the way you play. I’m getting paid now. That means I have to live up to the standard. And they really live up to that standard,” Steyn said.
WHY IS HARDIK PANDYA A CLASSIC CASE?
Steyn then presented the case of Hardik, which he thinks he always talks about. The Indian all-rounder is a multiple IPL winner and is a two-time T20 World Cup champion. Steyn feels the players look up to Hardik and believe they can deliver like him despite the big money allotment.
“Hardik Pandya is a classic example for me. I mean he talks. He looks like money when he plays. He wins World Cups, he is the captain. So these players go, this is my hero. This is how things are done. It doesn’t stop me. That’s what I want to become and that’s the lifestyle I want to live,” Steyn said.
Hardik was originally bought by MI for just 10 crores and initially retained 11 crores, with his price increasing by 10,900 percent. He then went to Gujarat Titans for 15 crores and helped them win the IPL 2022 title and reach the final next year.
He was bought by MI in 2024 and then retained before IPL 2025 auction for 16.35 crores.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– The end
Published on:
27 March 2026 20:57 IST
