AB de Villiers Archives - Today Match Prediction

AB de Villiers Reflects on 2010 IPL Snub: Delhi Fails to Honor Retention Promise

Samia Akter — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 09:44:19 +0000

AB de Villiers’ Unforgettable Journey: From Delhi’s Snub to RCB Stardom

In a revelation that sheds light on the unpredictability of cricketing fortunes, AB de Villiers, considered one of the greatest batters of the modern era, disclosed his unexpected journey from being snubbed by the Delhi Daredevils to becoming a stalwart for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Before achieving stardom with RCB, the South African batting maestro endured three lukewarm seasons with the Delhi franchise, now known as Delhi Capitals. Despite the anticipation of being retained, de Villiers, alongside explosive Australian opener David Warner in a team meeting, received the surprising news that he was released before the 2011 auction.

Recounting the pivotal incident on his YouTube channel, ‘AB de Villiers 360,’ the former South African skipper shared,

“When I played in the 2010 season, I got called into the office and was told ‘you are going to get retained, young AB de Villiers’.

However, the assurance proved false, leaving de Villiers bewildered in the following weeks when he realized he had been released. Reflecting on the communication at that time, he noted,

“So the communication wasn’t great back in the day, that must be different these days but it’s not a nice feeling.”

The subsequent uncertainty and nervousness before the auction were palpable for the 39-year-old cricketer.

“You’re unsure of your career, at the time in 2010 I think I only played five games in that IPL season, so a lot of doubts crept up in my mind,” he confessed.

Despite the setback, de Villiers had a standout international season, and his fortunes took a turn when he was picked up by RCB in the auction.

“But I did have a very good international season. I kept playing good cricket, and luckily for me, the auction happened, and I got picked up by RCB, and it changed my life forever, so great memories with regards to that,” he reminisced.

The news of his selection by RCB, received through Twitter, and a subsequent call from Virat Kohli marked the beginning of an iconic partnership that mesmerized Indian fans for 11 seasons.

Offering words of encouragement to released players, de Villiers emphasized that it’s not the “end of the road.” He urged them to keep a close eye on the auction and, if not picked up, view it as an opportunity to go back to the drawing board and work even harder. In sharing his own remarkable journey, AB de Villiers encapsulates the resilience and unpredictability that defines a cricketer’s path to success.

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AB de Villiers Optimistic About South Africa’s World Cup Prospects

Samia Akter — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 10:52:49 +0000

Former South Africa Captain Shares Insights on Upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2023

AB de Villiers, the former South African batting sensation, is brimming with confidence in his nation’s prospects at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, set to kick off this Thursday. South Africa will embark on their campaign with an encounter against 1996 champions Sri Lanka at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday.

Strengths: A Never-Say-Die Attitude

Speaking on Jio Cinema’s daily show, “AAKASHVANI,” de Villiers highlighted South Africa’s cricketing strengths, emphasizing their aggressive style of play and unwavering determination. He likened their approach to that of New Zealand, noting their proficiency in fielding and their ability to apply pressure on opposing batters.

De Villiers also pointed to the firepower in the South African lineup, featuring players like David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen.

Weaknesses: The Challenge of Consistency

Despite their strengths, de Villiers acknowledged South Africa’s weaknesses. He expressed concern about their recent performance, noting that they have not consistently held top positions in international rankings, which is typically a strong indicator of World Cup success. He specifically mentioned their struggles in the opening ten overs with the ball, a concern that Kagiso Rabada and company will need to address.

Putting Runs on the Board

De Villiers stressed the importance of setting competitive totals with the bat, particularly given South Africa’s bowling challenges. He placed faith in Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma to provide solid starts, with support from Klaasen, Markram, and Miller—explosive batters with extensive IPL experience. Scoring 300+ runs consistently will be essential to South Africa’s success.

The Road Ahead: Optimism and Predictions

In conclusion, de Villiers expressed his optimism for South Africa’s World Cup journey, foreseeing a potentially decisive match in the quarter-finals or semi-finals that could propel them to victory. While acknowledging the competition and India’s status as favourites, he believes that South Africa could emerge as champions, particularly if they perform well in the semi-finals.

AB de Villiers concluded his predictions with a bold statement:

“I see South Africa lifting the World Cup in 2023.” Cricket enthusiasts worldwide eagerly await the tournament’s start to see if de Villiers’ predictions will come to fruition.

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“Disappointed” AB de Villiers Expresses Reaction to Omission of India Star from Asia Cup 2023

Mainul Islam — Sun, 27 Aug 2023 09:15:56 +0000

Surprises and Omissions in India's Asia Cup Squad

India’s recently announced Asia Cup squad included a few unexpected selections, notably Tilak Varma earning his first-ever 50-over format call-up. However, the omission of Yuzvendra Chahal, an experienced leg-spinner, has garnered significant attention. Chahal’s absence is particularly notable given the absence of a leg-spinner in the chosen 18-man roster. Amid discussions surrounding this exclusion, AB de Villiers, Chahal’s former teammate from Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), revealed feeling ‘disappointed’ to witness the spinner’s name absent from the Indian squad.

Chahal's Role and Omission

Yuzvendra Chahal has been a consistent presence in India’s white-ball teams for several years. However, despite his contribution, he has not yet featured in any ICC event for the national team. Considering his exclusion from the Asia Cup 2023 squad, it implies that Chahal’s prospects for selection in India’s ODI World Cup squad might be slim.

“Chahal has been dropped, selectors making their intentions clear who they will be picking. It’s a bit of a disappointing drop for me, Yuzi is always very handy and it’s great to have the leg-spinning option in your team. We know how skilful he is,” De Villiers shared in a video on his YouTube channel.

Shift in Spin Dynamics

In terms of spinners, the Indian team opted for Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav for the Asia Cup. This strategic decision seemingly aims to bolster the team’s batting lineup by extending their depth.

Composition of India's Asia Cup Squad:

Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (VC), Ravindra Jadeja
Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj Prasidh Krishna

Stand-by player: Sanju Samson

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AB de Villiers Reveals his Favorite Player of IPL 2023, and it’s Neither Shubman Gill nor Virat Kohli

Mainul Islam — Mon, 29 May 2023 09:44:37 +0000

Yashasvi Jaiswal Emerges as AB de Villiers’ Favorite Player of IPL 2023, Surpassing Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli. Despite the Rajasthan Royals’ failure to secure a spot in the IPL 2023 playoffs, the franchise witnessed remarkable performances from Yashasvi Jaiswal. The young opener emerged as the team’s top run-scorer for the season and currently holds the fourth position in the race for the Orange Cap. In 14 matches, Jaiswal amassed an impressive total of 625 runs at an average of 48.08 and a striking strike rate of 163.61. Throughout the season, he showcased his talent with a century and five half-centuries, with a highest score of 124.

As an uncapped player, Jaiswal captivated everyone’s attention with his exceptional shot selection and ability to find gaps in the field. His impact was so significant that it momentarily shifted the focus away from the struggling star opener Jos Buttler. During an interview on JioCinema, former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) player AB de Villiers expressed his admiration for Jaiswal and named him as his favorite player of IPL 2023.

“For me, it’s Yashasvi Jaiswal, by a significant margin. He is a young player who possesses an extensive range of shots. His composed and calm temperament at the crease impresses me, and I appreciate his ability to dominate the bowlers while maintaining control,” de Villiers stated. “Shubman Gill is a bit older, but I believe Jaiswal has a long way to go, and he possesses all the qualities to become a great player,” he further added.

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‘Baby AB’ to debut in international cricket soon

Mainul Islam — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 08:55:10 +0000

Dewald Brevis is going to make his international debut soon. The South African has become known as ‘Baby AB’ in the world due to his similarity in batting with homegrown legend AB de Villiers. As the Proteas failed to perform as expected in the 2022 T20 World Cup, the board officials want a hard hitter like Brevis on the team.

Ab de Villiers doesn’t miss, is there a crowd that doesn’t? In the era of the spread of short-format cricket, there is no end to the practice of this batsman, who is known for three-six degrees. Many cricketers today follow the style of the South African legend. However, everyone finds his shadow in one person. He is de Villiers’ compatriot Dewald Brevis. In the meantime, the Proteas have become known in the cricket world as ‘Baby AB’.

Brevis threw a ruckus in the Under-19 World Cup. Seeing the power-hitting or ability to play shots around the wicket, everyone started calling him Next De Villiers.

The franchise leagues were embroiled in a flurry with the highest run-scorer in that edition of the Youth World Cup. Brevis has also proved his ability in events in different countries at the senior level. However, the 19-year-old cricketer has not yet made his debut in senior international cricket.

His dream is going to be fulfilled soon. Especially after Bavuma-de Kock failed to chase down the 159-run target set by the Netherlands in the T20 World Cup in Australia, the policymakers of South African cricket feel the urge to include Baby AB in the team.

The board’s director of cricket, Inkh Enkawe, said Brevis could make his debut like David Warner. The Proteas have plans to play the under-19 cricket-winning batter in the senior’s T20, then the ODIs and the last Test. Warner also did not have much experience playing domestic cricket before making his international debut. Nevertheless, this Aussie has got great success in all formats. This time, Dewald Brevis will also bring success to the country, south Africans believe.

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Babar broke Kohli’s record as captain

Mainul Islam — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 10:47:48 +0000

Babar Azam sets one record after another. If you come on the field with the bat, it is as if the Pakistan captain will have to return after scoring a century.

He also scored a century in the first ODI against the West Indies on Wednesday night. Babar scored a century in three consecutive ODI matches. Earlier, he also scored a century in the last two ODIs of the series against Australia at home.

Babar played brilliant innings of 103 off 107 balls on Wednesday. He needed 98 runs on this day to complete a thousand runs as a captain. He hit fours from 96 to reach the milestone of 10000 as well as a century. With this, Babar broke the record of former India captain Virat Kohli.

Babar now holds the record for the fastest 1,000 runs as captain in ODIs. It took Kohli 17 innings to reach 1,000 runs as a captain in his career. And it took Babar just 13 innings! In this record, the Proteas star AB de Villiers is in the third position, he has taken 18 innings as captain. New Zealand captain Kane Williamson took 20 innings. Alastair Cook, the current captain of the England Test team, took 21 innings.

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