Former South African batter AB de Villiers has dominated most of the bowlers that he faced in his prime in the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, Indian speedster Jasprit Bumrah was one of those who occasionally got the better of De Villiers.
The former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) star batter recalled a game that he was a part of against the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium, where despite being well set, he was surprised by an accurate bouncer from Bumrah.
In a video on his YouTube channel, here’s what AB de Villiers had to say about that face-off against Jasprit Bumrah:
“I was playing for RCB in Wankhede Stadium against Mumbai Indians and got to 70. Just as I was about to get into fifth gear, he (Bumrah) out of nowhere got a bouncer that hit me on my head. I was a little bit off-balanced and did not see that coming, especially at that pace. He always tries to stay one step ahead of the batter and is not afraid of trying things out. He always backs his skills.”
AB de Villiers on Jasprit Bumrah’s development
AB de Villiers has seen Jasprit Bumrah evolve over the years as an opponent. He had faced the pacer when the latter was still young and inexperienced and also noticed how swiftly he developed into a world-class fast bowler.
On this, De Villiers stated:
“We have had some really good run-ins over the years. At the start, there wasn’t much of pace. He was in his 130s and I played him in the Wankhede and was getting him away. But not even a year or two later, I saw a completely different bowler running in. Hitting the mid-140 mark with fire in the belly, making eye contact with me and I knew the challenge was on.”
Bumrah’s comeback from injury has been a huge bonus for Team India and he is certainly going to be crucial for their chance of lifting the 2023 World Cup.
