Latest news with #deVilliers
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Shreyas Iyer's reply to Bumrah yorker called 'shot of IPL', de Villiers says 'If I faced it, my stumps would've broken'
Shreyas Iyer did not put a foot wrong in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 Qualifier 2 against Mumbai Indians as he hit an unbeaten 87 to guide Punjab Kings to a five-wicket win. As a result, PBKS have now reached the final of the T20 competition for just the second time in their history. Such was the brilliance of Shreyas that even someone of Jasprit Bumrah's stature was made to look inferior, and the pacer had no answers to the right-hander's onslaught. Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers was left in awe of Shreyas' blitz against the five-time champions Mumbai Indians and he reserved some special praise for the right-hander's jaw-dropping shot off a Jasprit Bumrah yorker. On the second delivery of the 18th over of PBKS' innings, Bumrah dished out a perfect yorker. However, Shreyas was up to the task as he produced arguably the shot of the IPL this season. It seemed like Shreyas was expecting a yorker as he stayed low to open the face of the bat. He just guided the delivery wide of Reece Topley at short third-man and the ball to the boundary fence for a boundary. Speaking about this particular shot, de Villiers said that if he had been facing that delivery, his stumps would have been rattled. 'That's the shot of the IPL for me. That's hitting the middle stump - the perfect yorker. That's literally breaking the toe of the bat. You can't get that away. That's maybe breaking my stumps if I'm facing it,' de Villiers said on JioStar. Also Read: BCCI gets Shreyas Iyer 'will captain India in multiple formats' message 'He gets a four off that and puts the pressure straight back on MI against the best bowler in the world. Just incredible batting - pure, brute force and strength. What a fantastic player,' he added. Shreyas smashed five fours and eight sixes as he hit an unbeaten 81 off 41 balls to help Punjab Kings chase down 204 with six balls to spare and five wickets in hand. Throughout the tournament, the PBKS captain has been in fine form, scoring more than 600 runs at a staggering average of more than 54. de Villiers lauded the India batter's consistency, saying he is a huge fan of the PBKS captain, who was bought for INR 26.75 crore in the mega auction. 'I don't know where to start. I'm obviously a huge fan. But that innings tonight was out of this world. He deserves every bit of the praise coming his way. Under immense pressure, knowing it was do-or-die, with the odds stacked against him - he stood tall,' said de Villiers. "His sixes were a joy to watch. His head was still, his positioning perfect. He's calm, not arrogant - level-headed, and I love that about him. There are many more runs to come from this guy in the future. Shreyas Iyer, I salute you. What a knock," he added. Punjab Kings will now take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2025 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on June 3.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Virat Kohli's Test retirement decision decoded: ‘He followed his gut feel, he will be missed'
Virat Kohli stunned the world on May 12 when he announced his retirement from Test cricket ahead of the upcoming marquee England tour. The right-handed batter, 36, decided to bring the curtain down on his Test career, having played 123 Tests for India. Kohli scored 9230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries. Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers who shares a close bond with Kohli, said that the former India skipper followed his gut feeling in deciding to step away from the longest format of the game. Kohli had been battling poor form in Tests in the last five years, scoring just four centuries. Owing to below-par returns, Kohli's average fell down from 55 to almost 46. The batter also kept chasing wide deliveries bowled well outside off stump Down Under and all of his eight dismissals against Australia happened in a similar fashion. However, de Villiers feels Kohli has done a lot for cricket around the world and he leaves behind a great legacy. 'He followed his gut feel. I think he has done a lot for cricket around the world over the years. Luckily, we'll still see him on the cricket field,' said de Villiers while speaking to reporters in Mumbai. 'He will be missed in Test matches, there is no doubt about it, but he leaves (behind) a great legacy with the red ball,' he added. de Villiers reckons India can give tough competition to England in the upcoming five-match series, beginning June 20. Shubman Gill was recently appointed as the Test captain following the retirement of Rohit Sharma from Tests. Rishabh Pant will serve as Gill's deputy. The likes of Karun Nair, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Shardul Thakur have been named in the squad and it needs to be seen how they go in the UK. 'Yes, it's time for the younger guys to step up… Shubman Gill taking on the responsibility. There's lots of talent in India, and largely credit to the IPL for that (it is) really giving great exposure to some of the youngsters at a very early age," said de Villiers. "We saw Vaibhav Suryavanshi this year (and) many other youngsters; they come in their first year, and they look very mature and ready to play cricket, and it's a great platform for Indian cricket,' he added. The RCB legend also stated that the young members of the squad need to take some responsibility as the tour of England will be a tough Test. 'They've got to take some responsibility on in England, it'll be a tough test, but they have all the talent in the world, and if they believe, maybe they can achieve something special,' said de Villiers.
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Sport
- Business Standard
India can shine in Test series England if they believe, says AB de Villiers
India's young guns have the talent to achieve something special in the upcoming England Test series, provided they back themselves, said AB de Villiers here on Saturday, adding that it's time for the new generation to step up. With the 25-year-old Shubman Gill at the helm, India will start a new cycle of the World Test Championship with a five-Test tour of England next month without their seasoned campaigners in Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who both announced their retirement recently. India will also miss the services of off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin who retired during last year's tour of Australia, and senior pacer Mohammed Shami, who was not selected for this tour owing to his lack of fitness for the conventional format. "Yes, it's time for the younger guys to step up... Shubman Gill taking on the responsibility," de Villiers told the media on the sidelines of a NGO Project Mumbai event here. "There's lots of talent in India and largely credit to the IPL for that, (it is) really giving great exposure to some of the youngsters at a very early age." "We saw Vaibhav Suryavanshi this year (and) many other youngsters, they come in their first year and they look very mature and ready to play cricket and it's a great platform for Indian cricket," he said. The former South African skipper said the tour of England will be a tough test for the young Indian side, but keeping the belief could help them pull off a favourable result. "They've got to take some responsibility on in England, it'll be a tough test, but they have all the talent in the world and if they believe, maybe they can achieve something special." De Villiers, who shares a special bond with his former Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammate Kohli, said he will be missed in Test cricket. "He followed his gut feel. I think he has done a lot for cricket around the world over the years. Luckily, we'll still see him on the cricket field. He will be missed in Test matches, there is no doubt about it, but he leaves (behind) a great legacy with the red ball, de Villiers said. Talking about the Indian Premier League, de Villiers still backed Punjab Kings, who suffered an eight-wicket thrashing at the hands of RCB in Qualifier 1, to reach the final. PBKS will take on Mumbai Indians in Ahmedabad on Sunday for Qualifier 2. I said quite a while ago, about a month ago, that Gujarat (Titans) and RCB will be in the final. It looks like the odds are against my call but it is still cricket, you never know, it is a knockout match," he said. "It takes one or two great performances to turn the pressure onto your opposition. It's still going to be Punjab but I've got a little bit of doubt on my mind after watching last night's game, said de Villiers, pointing out at the contest between MI and Gujarat Titans in which the five-times champion emerged winner in the high-scoring Eliminator.
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
"Time for younger guys to step up": AB de Villiers on Shubman Gill leading India's Test transition
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 31 (ANI): With the retirements of senior stalwarts Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin marking the end of an era in Indian Test cricket, a new chapter is set to begin under the leadership of Shubman Gill. As India prepares for a challenging tour of England in June, their first assignment in the 2025-27 ICC World Test Championship cycle, former South African great AB de Villiers reflected on the transition. 'It is time for the younger guys to step up. Shubman Gill is taking on the responsibility. There is a lot of talent in India, and largely the credit goes to IPL for that,' said de Villiers. 'We saw Vaibhav Suryavanshi this year,' de Villiers noted, referring to the teen sensation. 14-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi stunned the cricketing world earlier this year with a breathtaking century in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Suryavanshi smashed 101 off just 38 deliveries, becoming the youngest ever centurion in men's T20 cricket. His hundred, which came off just 35 balls, is now the second-fastest in IPL history, a staggering achievement for a player of his age. The month of June not only marks the beginning of India's new ICC World Test Championship cycle (2025-27), but also signals the dawn of a new chapter in Indian cricket. With Gill at the helm, a youthful Indian side will face a stern challenge in England, known for its testing conditions and formidable home record. Gill's leadership will be closely watched as he attempts to guide a fresh-faced team in the absence of some of India's most experienced Test campaigners. De Villiers acknowledged the difficulty of the assignment: 'It will be a tough test against England.' India squad for England tour: Squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc, wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudarshan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav. (ANI)
NDTV
3 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
"Followed His Gut Feel": AB De Villiers On Virat Kohli's Shocking Test Retirement
India's young guns have the talent to achieve something special in the upcoming England Test series, provided they back themselves, said AB de Villiers here on Saturday, adding that it's time for the new generation to step up. With the 25-year-old Shubman Gill at the helm, India will start a new cycle of the World Test Championship with a five-Test tour of England next month without their seasoned campaigners in Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who both announced their retirement recently. India will also miss the services of off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin who retired during last year's tour of Australia, and senior pacer Mohammed Shami, who was not selected for this tour owing to his lack of fitness for the conventional format. "Yes, it's time for the younger guys to step up... Shubman Gill taking on the responsibility," de Villiers told the media on the sidelines of a NGO Project Mumbai event here. "There's lots of talent in India and largely credit to the IPL for that, (it is) really giving great exposure to some of the youngsters at a very early age. We saw Vaibhav Suryavanshi this year (and) many other youngsters, they come in their first year and they look very mature and ready to play cricket and it's a great platform for Indian cricket," he said. The former South African skipper said the tour of England will be a tough test for the young Indian side, but keeping the belief could help them pull off a favourable result. "They've got to take some responsibility on in England, it'll be a tough test, but they have all the talent in the world and if they believe, maybe they can achieve something special." De Villiers, who shares a special bond with his former Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammate Kohli, said he will be missed in Test cricket. "He followed his gut feel. I think he has done a lot for cricket around the world over the years. Luckily, we'll still see him on the cricket field. He will be missed in Test matches, there is no doubt about it, but he leaves (behind) a great legacy with the red ball,' de Villiers said. Talking about the Indian Premier League, de Villiers still backed Punjab Kings, who suffered an eight-wicket thrashing at the hands of RCB in Qualifier 1, to reach the final. PBKS will take on Mumbai Indians in Ahmedabad on Sunday for Qualifier 2. 'I said quite a while ago, about a month ago, that Gujarat (Titans) and RCB will be in the final. It looks like the odds are against my call but it is still cricket, you never know, it is a knockout match," he said. "It takes one or two great performances to turn the pressure onto your opposition. It's still going to be Punjab but I've got a little bit of doubt on my mind after watching last night's game,' said de Villiers, pointing out at the contest between MI and Gujarat Titans in which the five-times champion emerged winner in the high-scoring Eliminator.
