Royal Challengers Bangalore Riding AB de Villiers' Brilliance: Rahul Dravid
Royal Challengers Bangalore are vying for a place in the IPL play-offs and AB de Villiers has played a big role for the team, feels Rahul Dravid.
- NDTVSports
- Updated: May 15, 2015 03:41 PM IST
Rahul Dravid, whose batting technique defied the best bowlers in the world, paid tribute to AB de Villiers' batting style ahead of Royal Challengers Bangalore's must-win game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday.(De Villiers, Kohli Share Record Stand in T20 History)
Dravid, who has been mentoring Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, said in Mumbai on Thursday that De Villiers' batting style has left him bamboozled and he would never dare to copy the aggression and improvisation that the South African displayed at crucial moments.(Rampaging AB de Villiers Powers Bangalore vs Mumbai)
"There are times when I watch De Villiers' knocks, that I wonder: 'These are shots I would not even dream of, let alone execute,'" said Dravid.(De Villiers Determined to Help Bangalore Fly High)
"He and Brendon McCullum are showing the way ahead for youngsters. Viv Richards first showed how to attack, and then (Sanath) Jayasuriya and (Romesh) Kaluwitharana showed how to bat in the first 15 overs of an ODI," added Dravid.
De Villiers, with 446 runs at an average of 55.75, including a hundred and a fifty, in 11 matches, is the top run-getter for RCB in this IPL. He is followed by Virat Kohli, who has scored 436 at an average of 48.44 in 12 matches.
Dravid feels De Villiers' ability to adapt in all three formats of the game has been astounding. How much has T20 batting style impacted Test cricket?
"Players like Viru (Virender Sehwag) have always batted like that (aggressively) in any format, so every batsman will have his own style. Someone like De Villiers possesses the gift of adapting his game to varied formats as per the needs."