Dale Steyn defends his record in T20 cricket

He may have been dropped by South Africa for their crucial two games of the recently held World T20 in India, but fast bowler Dale Steyn has brushed off criticisms against him with respect to T20 cricket and defending his record in the shortest format of the game.

Steyn is preparing to open his account for his fourth Indian Premier League franchise, when the Gujarat Lions take on Kings XI Punjab at Mohali on Monday.

The 32-year-old is regarded as one of the best and most skilled bowlers in world cricket having amassed more than 400 wickets in Test matches and 175 in 112 one-day internationals for South Africa.

However, it is the shortest format that Steyn is yet to cement his place in the Proteas squad.

He was even the target of a verbal barb during the tournament from Afghanistan batsman Mohammad Shazhad, who labelled the Proteas quick "not dangerous" and added he was disappointed the South Africans had left Steyn out for their clash against the Associate nation.

"If you look at the stats, my stats would tell you that I have done fairly well," he told cricbuzz. "With an economy rate of under seven runs an over, 6.67 in IPL and international T20s, too.

"So, even if I am going for a boundary in every over overall the idea is to go for not more than six runs an over, which I have more or less maintained throughout my career.

"I think that is pretty reasonable for a game where teams can very easily go for 19 or 20 runs an over."

Steyn averages 17 in T20 internationals and 23 in domestic T20 cricket and - just as importantly - has conceded around 6.7 runs an over in the more than 200 T20 matches he's played.

He says the cricket world has to re-adjust its expectations as per the demands of T20 cricket.

"The game is definitely changing, it is easy to score runs now and you got to understand that," he said.

"People need to start understanding that it is not the nineties where (a) bowler can run in and go for three runs an over. Honestly, on an average, bowlers can easily go for 12 to 15 runs an over in this format.

"Boys in the past would think that 'if I can hit two or three or four sixes in the season that would be amazing' but now they are hitting two (or) three a game.

"So people need to understand that it is possible. But if we look at the overall picture, at the average and at the economy rate, I think I am doing okay."

Steyn has joined the likes of T20 stars Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Bravo, James Faulkner, Suresh Raina, Aaron Finch and Ravindra Jadeja at the Lions in their first IPL campaign.

It's Steyn's fourth IPL franchise having previously played with Deccan Chargers, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad.