AB de Villiers, the legendary batsman from South Africa, has retired from international cricket, but he continues to thrill his fans by competing in reputable T20 competitions, such as the Indian Premier League. That he gets along well with a number of Indian cricket stars is therefore not surprising. He recently had a great conversation on a variety of cricket-related topics during his “360 Show” with Yuzvendra Chahal, his former teammate at the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
During the open conversation, the former Protea icon unexpectedly disclosed that during India’s 2018 South Africa trip, Chahal’s determined leg spinner outperformed him most of the time. In a funny aside, De Villiers recounted an ODI match that took place in Centurion and said that the Indian spin wizard’s chess-like intelligence was the reason he decided to end his international cricket career.
“It was incredibly hot when I was playing on my Centurion home field.” I was exhausted from batting around thirty and I assumed I would get some easy boundaries. But, as we all know, Yuzi is smart. He plays the chess game. He zipped one through after realizing what I was trying to achieve. The sound of the bails is still in my memory. Yuzi, I really appreciate that. The real reason I retired was because of you.
AB de Villiers joked on his YouTube channel, “I am now your bunny.”
Curiously, Yuzvendra Chahal made it very evident to AB de Villiers that this was his first tour to the “Rainbow Nation” prior to de Villiers going into detail about the India tour. Notably, Chahal and his spin counterpart, Kuldeep Yadav, tormented the Proteas batting order, helping Team India to a decisive (5-1) series victory. This therefore diminished the perception among visiting teams that spin bowlers in South Africa had a difficult time making a living.
“I can still clearly recall my 2018 South African maiden tour. Because Kuldeep and I bowled together for the first time overseas and there was a perception that it was difficult to bowl there, it was a tremendous confidence boost for us. But it was incredibly unforgettable. After a five-year absence, I’m really happy to be returning,” Chahal said to AB de Villiers.
You can always utilize variations as a weapon. I adore bounces and wickets in South Africa. Yuzvendra Chahal
It is noteworthy to add that Yuzvendra Chahal, an elite leggie, has an outstanding bowling record at AB de Villiers’ residence as he sets out on his latest tour of South Africa following a five-year hiatus. Nine gigs in the Rainbow nation have netted the 33-year-old celebrity 18 victims thus far. AB de Villiers was so taken aback by Chahal’s incredible consistency in his own backyard that he had no choice but to let his curiosity run wild and ask him about his “secret weapon,” which allowed him to subdue South African batters.
In response, Yuzvendra Chahal stated that his strength has been bowling wicket-to-wicket line, which puts a batter under constant pressure because he stays in the game even if a batter misses the line or slog sweeps him. He also maintained bowling with different trajectories and variations, taking advantage of the South African wickets’ bounce.
“Bubbly wickets are my favorite, and South Africa and Australia have enough of them. Because batters will always attempt to slog sweep, you can always have the upper hand by using variations as a weapon. Every time, I attempt to vary my line. I also aim to bowl stump-to-stump so you have a chance when the batsman comes to bat,” Chahal said.
India
