Former South Africa cricketer Dale Steyn has said that Kartik Tyagi has probably changed his action again, adding that while the latter has enough pace and good skill, he is yet to believe in his own abilities.
Tyagi, brought in as an Impact Player to cover for injured teammates, came under fire from Steyn for frequent changes to his action and a tendency to doubt his own abilities early in his career.
A 2020 U19 World Cup runner-up, Tyagi was snapped up by Rajasthan Royals ahead of IPL 2020 and featured in 10 games during his debut season. He picked nine wickets that season at an economy of 9.61.
“Tyagi seems to have changed his action, again. A young man with pace and good skill, but I feel he has yet to believe in his own body’s ability, often copying other bowlers’ actions to find some hidden gem that could work for him,” Steyn tweeted on Sunday night.
Tyagi seems to have changed his action, again.
A young man with pace and good skill, but I feel yet to believe in his own bodies ability, often copying other bowlers actions to find some hidden gem that could work for him.Copying has its advantages, but at some stage you need…
— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) March 29, 2026
In IPL 2021, Tyagi played just four matches for Rajasthan Royals, including a memorable clash against Punjab Kings, where he defended four runs in the final over with perfect wide Yorkers, bagging an improbable two-run win.
Released before IPL 2022, Tyagi was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 4 crore but featured in only five games over two seasons, bowling 14 overs in total. This is where he came across Steyn.
Ahead of IPL 2024, Tyagi joined the Gujarat Titans for Rs 60 lakh but played just one match all season.
Unsold in the IPL 2025 auction, Tyagi bagged a spot in 2026 when Kolkata Knight Riders picked him up for Rs 30 lakh.
But in the game against KKR, Tyagi conceded 43 runs in his four overs, but managed to dismiss Suryakumar Yadav.
