Last Updated: March 07, 2023, 15:09 IST
AB de Villiers (left) and Virat Kohli (AFP Photo)
AB de Villiers was teammates with some of the finest cricketers during his playing days including Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle
It’s probably going to be a never-ending debate. Each debater will passionately defend his/her choice, bring out all the vital stats to back arguments and in some case, diss the challengers. But it will always remain a topic perpetually open for debate: Who is the greatest player to have played cricket?
With T20 cricket growing in popularity and spawning leagues across the globe, it seems to be where the future of the game lies. Long gone are the days when a budding cricketer would dream of playing either Test or ODI for the country. A third format has quickly gained currency among players and fans and the immense popularity of the various T20 leagues is a living proof.
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While the format might still be in its infancy when compared to the longer versions, there’s enough evidence – stats, match-winning performances, trophies won etc – to argue the greatest T20 player of all time.
So when the questioned was popped to the legendary AB de Villiers who has been teammates with some of the finest cricketers of modern era including Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle, he gave an interesting reply.
For De Villiers, himself one of the fiercest hitter of the cricket ball, Afghanistan allrounder Rashid Khan takes the top spot. Why?
Because he’s a superstar spinner, has made telling contributions with the bat and is quite athletic on the field meaning Rashid possesses all the attributes that make for an ideal cricketer.
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“My greatest T20 player of all time is none other than Rashid Khan,” De Villiers said on Supersport. “He delivers with bat and ball. Match winner in both departments; he is a livewire in the field and has got the heart of a lion. He always wants to win; he’s very competitive, and he’s right there with one of the best T20 players. Not one of the best, the best.”
Rashid is a quite popular in various T20 leagues having played in all major tournaments including IPL, BBL, CPL, PSL, SA20 and more. The 24-year-old is vastly experienced having played 382 T20s so far and taken 514 wickets besides scoring 1893 runs at an impressive strike rate of 142.97.
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