He Makes It Look So Simple - Sunil Gavaskar Names The Batsman He Would Want To Bat Like
Published - 03 Jun 2021, 12:17 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:47 AM
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar says he would have wanted to bat like AB de Villiers in T20 cricket. The 71-year-old was asked one batsman he wishes to bat as, and he named the former South Africa captain.
Sunil Gavaskar heaped huge praises on the 360-degree range of the Royal Challengers Bangalore stalwart. Further, he talked about how de Villiers “makes it look so simple” and elegant, and on his exquisite batting technique.
Recently, de Villiers was in terrific form in the IPL 2021, which now will resume in September-October in the UAE. The right-hander often performed the rescuing task for RCB in the second half of the innings – he had scored 207 runs at a strike rate of 164.29 so far.
“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,” Sunil Gavaskar said on The Analyst Inside podcast.
A lot of people around my time are not happy with the T20 format, but I actually love it: Sunil Gavaskar
There has often been a sense that several former cricketers, especially those of the 20th century, have disliked the T20 format – not just for the short length of the game, but for its glamour part as well.
However, Sunil Gavaskar, who is a regular presence in the commentary box in the IPL, says that he, indeed, loves the shortest format. Apart from the quick result of the match, he says he is astonished by the skill of the batters to hit sixes, and unorthodox shots, at ease, which wasn’t the case in his era.
“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,” the former opener stated.
