AB de Villiers Picks Favourite Player From IPL 2023. It's Not Shubman Gill or Virat Kohli
AB de Villiers looked beyond Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli as he picked his 'favourite player' from IPL 2023.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season has seen some top performers emerge and make their mark in the game. The likes of Shubman Gill, Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal have been putting in batting spectacles this season. Though it's Gill who has shone the most among these players, with three centuries to his name, former Royal Challengers Bangalore star AB de Villiers snubbed both him and his former teammate Kohli as he picked his 'favourite player' from the 16th edition of the league.
For De Villiers, it was the Rajasthan Royals' opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal who left the finest impression. In a chat on Jio Cinema, De Villiers doffed his hat to Jaiswal as he hailed the southpaw for his exemplary performances this year.
"Yashasvi Jaiswal for me and by a long margin for sure. He is a young player and has got all the shots in the book. He has a calm and composed temperament at the wicket and I love what he does, dominating the bowlers and always looks like he is in control. Shubman is a little bit older, I think Jaiswal's got a long way to go, and he has all the credentials to become a great," De Villiers said on Sunday.
Jaiswal was rewarded for his IPL performances with a back-up role in the Indian team for the World Test Championship final against Australia. The opening batter became a late addition to the squad among extras.
The 21-year-old has been putting hardcore cricket fans on notice since his U19 days. In 27 Youth ODIs, he has scored 1,386 runs for India at an average of 69.30, with three centuries and 12 fifties. He has also scored 197 runs in two Youth Tests at an average of 98.50, with one century, a best score of 173.
The youngster showcased what he is truly capable of with his power-packed performances in the IPL 2023. In 14 matches, he scored 625 runs at an average of 48.07 and a strike rate of 163.61. He scored a century and five half-centuries, with best score of 124. He has scored the most runs by an uncapped player in the history of IPL in a single season.
With ANI inputs
AB de Villiers
Virat Kohli