IPL 2021 | With de Villiers you think you have seen it all, yet he surprises you, opines VVS LaxmanÂ
AB de Villiers had played a great knock against KKR
|IPL
VVS Laxman, like most of the cricket fans, has been left enamored by AB de Villiers, and stated that he keeps on astonishing people even if one thinks he has seen it all from him. SRH mentor was also full of praise for Shikhar Dhawan and applauded his 'learning' attitude even at the age of 35.
When you think of it, it's simply remarkable that AB de Villiers has been the biggest match-winner for RCB in the last few years. A team that boasts Virat Kohli, arguably the greatest batsman of the present times. Since the start of 2018, AB de Villiers has averaged 48.42 with a strike-rate of 164.22 in the IPL, which is heads and shoulders above Kohli's numbers as he averages 39.26 with a SR 132.32 in the period. This year too, the former South African batsman, who was coming into the tournament sans any cricket since the last edition of the IPL, has taken the tournament by storm.Â
The 37-year-old has made 125 runs in the first three games and has a SR of 189.39, the best among the top 10 run-getters in the league, so far. Notably, no one else has struck at even 180, forget coming close to him. VVS Laxman has been left impressed with AB's exploits as he remarked that the RCB batsman has the ability to surprise even when you think you have seen it all.Â
"AB, of course, is just phenomenal. You think you have seen it all, and yet, year after year, he takes your breath away with his innovativeness and creativity. He doesn’t play international cricket any longer, so it’s little short of amazing that he continues to retain his passion, zest, fitness and appetite," Laxman wrote in his column for TOI.
"I wouldn’t recommend that young batsmen attempt to emulate his [de Villiers's] stroke-play because that’s impossible, but there is so much to learn from his work ethic and his commitment."
Delhi Capitals' Shikhar Dhawan has also been terrific so far in the league. He tops the list of run-getters this season with a tally of 186 runs and his strike rate of 163.15, has also been outstanding. Laxman reckons that the way the southpaw has 'reinvented' himself is a lesson to learn for everyone.
"Shikhar has been playing international cricket for more than a decade and is 35, but he is a shining example of the truism that the learning process never ends. By his own admission, he went back to the drawing board to reinvent himself as a T20 batsman a couple of years back. That’s a wonderful attitude to possess."
"The first step towards getting better is acknowledging that there is room for improvement. In Shikhar’s willingness to put in the hard yards and not rest on his laurels is a great lesson for youngsters not just from Delhi Capitals, but across the T20 landscape," Laxman said.
