Former South Africa superstar AB de Villiers has delivered a brutally honest take on IPL batting comparisons, openly expressing his frustration with how stats are used, especially when comparing middle-order players to openers.
âIt Irritates the Living Daylights Out of Meâ
Speaking on Mbangwa Media Youtube channel De Villiers didnât hold back while addressing comparisons with top IPL run-scorers:âSo I hate it when they compare my runs to other players in the IPL, because then I go like, but I havenât faced as many balls as the openers. It irritates the living daylights out of me.ââThis guy scored 8,000 runs, heâs the best ever. Iâm like, no, Iâm better than him heâs faced more balls. Donât do it.â he added.
âItâs the Easiest Thing in the Worldâ
The former RCB legend took aim at the advantage openers enjoy in T20 cricket: âAnd then on top of that, theyâre all openers and they bat with these restrictions only two guys out, and itâs like, itâs the easiest thing in the world, especially in India. Itâs ridiculous, man. You canât play cricket like that.â
âDonât Compare My Stats With Openersâ
De Villiers questioned the fairness of comparing players across batting positions: âBut then donât compare my stats now that I know that, with everybody. Theyâre all openers, all the main top run-scorers, the Orange Caps they have. Do you know why it irritates me?â de Villiers saidHe even suggested tweaking the fielding restrictions in the powerplay:âAt the very least, okay, with a new ball, when the ballâs pinging and flying, at the very least just have your fielding restrictions taken away in the first six overs, T20s in India short boundaries, great wickets. The advantage is the new ball already. Itâs flying. Itâs already too easy. Donât just have two fielders out of the ring.â
âUnfair to Bowlersâ
The Proteas legend highlighted how bowlers are often at a disadvantage: âBut I do feel itâs a bit unfair to the bowlers in the IPL, the first six overs. Forget about the stats and me being me. Itâs just a tough watch.âDe Villiers pointed out how even mistimed shots can bring boundaries: âVery often, they play bad strokes and get rewarded for it, your sliced ball that you didnât hit in the area you wanted to⌠and you still get four.âUsing Travis Head as an example, he said: âNow itâs like Travis Head, itâs just flying everywhere. Inside edge four, outside edge four. Good shot, six, great, but itâs one out of three.ââWhat is that? 33% strike and youâre on 15 off four balls.â he added.
âI Feel Embarrassedâ
De Villiers revealed his own mindset when scoring lucky boundaries: âHonestly, when I hit an inside edge for four, I feel embarrassed, I even sometimes apologise to bowlers, I swear because I feel like thatâs not right, now these openers, just runs everywhere. New ball flying. It bothers me.ââWhy do you think some captains, at the back end of their careers, promote themselves to open the batting in T20 cricket?â
âGive Me a Chance Up Frontâ
De Villiers ended with a pointed remark about his own batting position: âI got demoted to five at the back end of my career. Iâm like, what do you got? because Iâm a good finisher? No, give me a chance as well with a new ball up front.â
AB de Villiers In IPL
AB de Villiers enjoyed a remarkable IPL career, scoring 5162 runs in 184 matches at an impressive average of 39.70 and a blistering strike rate of 151.68, including 3 centuries and 40 half-centuries, with a highest score of 133*. What makes his numbers even more special is the context unlike most top run-scorers, de Villiers primarily batted in the middle order, often at No. 3 to 5, and still managed to dominate attacks with 251 sixes and over 400 fours.
