Legendary South African cricketer AB de Villiers was nothing but an absolute genius. His adroit batting technique, implausible power-hitting, and aptitude to innovate fresh shots made him one of the most supremely gifted batters of the 21st century.
De Villiers was reckoned one of the finest batters of the shortest format. He has played in several T20 tournaments, such as the Indian Premier League (IPL), and shared changerooms with quite a few global superstars like Virat Kohli. But who, according to the former South African skipper, is the greatest T20 player?
Well, De Villiers has recently revealed his choice, and interestingly, he didn’t go with Kohli or Chris Gayle. Rather, the Pretoria-born cricketer went with Afghanistan superstar Rashid Khan as the greatest player in the shortest format.
The former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) star reasoned his pick, stating that Rashid delivers in all three departments of the sport, i.e. batting, bowling and fielding. De Villiers observed that the Afghanistan spin sensation is pretty much competitive and always wants to win.
“My greatest T20 player of all time is none other than Rashid Khan. He delivers with bat and ball. Match winner in both departments; he is a livewire in the field and has got the heart of a lion. He always wants to win; he’s very competitive, and he’s right there with one of the best T20 players. Not one of the best, the best,” said De Villiers while speaking to SuperSport.
Notably, Rashid is a proven match-winner, irrespective of where he plays. The ace spinner is the second-highest wicket-taker in the history of T20s and is only behind West Indies superstar Dwayne Bravo. The top-quality leg-spinner, who is known for his pace through the air and deceptive variations, has taken 514 wickets from 382 matches at a tremendous average of 18.17.
Ahead of the last IPL edition, Rashid was roped in by Gujarat Titans. The leggie picked up 19 wickets during the season, helping Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat clinch the title.
