Dale Steyn shuts down Indian fan after ‘negative vibes’ accusation during T20 World Cup

Dale Steyn [Source: @srhfansofficial, @DaleSteyn62/x.com]

When it comes to fast bowlers, Dale Steyn never believed in bowling half-volleys. And looks like he doesn’t deal in half-answers on social media either.

The former South Africa speedster found himself in the middle of a Twitter storm after India’s T20 World Cup 2026 opener against USA. One fan accused him of throwing subtle jibes at Team India and Steyn didn’t ignore it.

Fan accuses Steyn of subtle digs at India

It all began when a user on X claimed that Dale Steyn’s tweets carried “negative vibes” towards the Indian team. According to the fan, Steyn’s posts felt like subtle digs rather than genuine cricket opinions.

🦁

@AndColorPockeT

Dale Steyn’s tweets seem full of negative vibes toward the Indian team, come across as subtle jibes.

The tweet quickly started gaining traction. With over a lakh views in no time, it became another India-related debate on X.

Steyn fires back with a straight question

Instead of letting the accusation slide, Steyn responded directly. Calm, sharp and to the point.

He simply replied “Really? Show me one example.”

Dale Steyn

@DaleSteyn62

@AndColorPockeT Really? Show me one example

It was classic Steyn. Right on the money.

His reply quickly grabbed attention. Fans from both sides jumped into the conversation. Some backed Steyn, saying he was only sharing cricketing views. Others tried digging out tweets to support the original claim.

The ‘300 loading’ tweet that started chatter

Interestingly, the entire debate traces back to a prediction Steyn made before India’s clash against USA at the Wankhede.

Looking at India’s explosive opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan and their recent form, Steyn predicted a run-fest. He tweeted “300 loading…” hinting that India could post a massive total batting first.

It wasn’t a dig. If anything, it was a hype post expecting fireworks. But cricket Twitter, as always, read it in different ways. When India’s batting collapsed early in the match, some fans felt Steyn’s tweet aged badly. A few even interpreted it as sarcasm or mockery. That’s when the “negative vibes” accusation popped up.

India’s match adds fuel to the fire

The irony is that Steyn’s “300 loading” tweet came before India’s dramatic batting collapse against USA. 

Dale Steyn

@DaleSteyn62

300 loading…

Instead of a run-fest, India found themselves in deep trouble early on before Suryakumar Yadav bailed them out and guided them to 161/9 before eventually winning the game by 29 runs.

That contrast between prediction and reality gave social media enough chatter to run wild. Memes, replies and debates flooded timelines. But through all the noise, Steyn’s calm response stood out.

Steyn keeps it real

In the end, this was just another day in the life of cricket on social media. Opinions flying around. Fans reading between the lines. Former players caught in the middle. But Dale Steyn made one thing clear, he is not here to throw shade. He is here to talk cricket.

And if someone feels otherwise, they better come with receipts. Because, as Steyn showed, he is always ready to bowl the next delivery.