Legendary Indian batsman VVS Laxman picked AB de Villiers and Shikhar Dhawan as the two “outstanding performers” so far in the ongoing 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2021).
Laxman believes that Dhawan and De Villiers have showcased professionalism and the relentless pursuit of excellence at the best so far in the ongoing IPL 2021, saying the two have established themselves as the leading lights of the competition so far.
De Villiers and Dhawan are the top two run-getters in the ongoing IPL 2021 with Delhi Capitals’ opener leading the chart with 186 runs at an average of 62 in three games so far. On the other hand, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batsman is fifth in the chart with 125 runs so far.
Laxman wrote in his column for Times of India: “The tournament is a great stage to showcase professionalism and the relentless pursuit of excellence, as exemplified by two very senior and sincere batsmen. Shikhar Dhawan and AB de Villiers have been outstanding for their franchises so far.”
Hailing Dhawan for his performance in T20 cricket, Laxman said: “Starting from last year’s IPL, these last eight months or so is the best I have seen Shikhar bat in T20 cricket. It reminds me of his Under-19 and India A days when he was fearless, aggressive and took the fight to the bowlers from the beginning.”
The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) mentor further added, “Shikhar has been playing international cricket for more than a decade and is 35, but he is a shining example of the truism that the learning process never ends. By his own admission, he went back to the drawing board to reinvent himself as a T20 batsman a couple of years back. That’s a wonderful attitude to possess.”
He also said Dhawan’s willingness to improve his game even at this stage when he is an established batsman with plenty of international experience is a great lesson for youngsters to learn. The left-hander is trying hard to improve his strike rate to improve his chances for the ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
Laxman added, “The first step towards getting better is acknowledging that there is room for improvement. In Shikhar’s willingness to put in the hard yards and not rest on his laurels is a great lesson for youngsters not just from Delhi Capitals, but across the T20 landscape.”
On De Villiers who helped RCB to win all three games so far in the IPL 2021, Laxman noted: “AB, of course, is just phenomenal. You think you have seen it all, and yet, year after year, he takes your breath away with his innovativeness and creativity. He doesn’t play international cricket any longer, so it’s a little short of amazing that he continues to retain his passion, zest, fitness, and appetite.”
He concluded, “I wouldn’t recommend that young batsmen attempt to emulate his [de Villiers's] stroke-play because that’s impossible, but there is so much to learn from his work ethic and his commitment. In that regard, AB and Shikhar have established themselves as the leading lights of the competition so far.”
