Sunil Gavaskar said that he loves batsmen playing unorthodox shots in T20 cricket.
Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar has lavished rich praise on former South African skipper AB de Villiers saying that he loves watching him bat. AB de Villiers, who is also known as Mr. 360, is arguably one of the best batsmen the world has ever witnessed.
Even after three years since his international retirement, the swashbuckling batsman still makes cricket fans go bonkers with his ability to dominate world-class bowling line-ups in T20 leagues despite not playing any cricket otherwise.
In the recently postponed IPL 2021, the swashbuckling batsman once again showcased his heroics and it didn’t seem like that he’s out of international cricket. The-37-year old amassed 207 runs in seven matches including three half-centuries.
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Talking to The Analyst Inside podcast, former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar admitted that people who played around with him don’t like T20 cricket but he loves watching the format of the game.
He added that when someone plays unorthodox shots he’s amazed by that because it takes a lot of skills to hit those shots.
"I know a lot of people who played around my time, they're not happy with the T20 format, but I actually love it. I love it for the simple reason that you know it's a 3-hour game, and you get a result, and you get to see so much action.
“When somebody plays the switch hit and the reverse sweep, I’m out of my chair because I think those are fabulous and incredible shots, and it takes a lot of skill to be able to hit them for sixes," Sunil Gavaskar told The Analyst Inside podcast.
Gavaskar lavished praise on AB de Villiers, saying his 360-degree hitting and elegance makes it look like he is batting in the nets. He further said that he loves his unique follow-through of the bat.
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"AB de Villiers... bat like him, you know 360 degrees, play everything. I mean, just make it look as if you're having a net. He makes it look so simple. He hits a fair distance, and he is very elegant as well.
“When he hits some of those shots, I love how his bat's follow-through goes right over the shoulder. It's not one of those punches; it’s like a proper shot. I love watching him bat,” he said.
AB de Villiers has represented South Africa in 420 international matches amassing 20,014 runs to go with 47 centuries.
(The Analyst Inside podcast inputs)