AB de Villiers names 3 toughest bowlers he has faced in his career, Includes Jasprit Bumrah

Former South African captain AB de Villiers has named 3 toughest bowlers he has faced in his career.

In a discussion with Robin Uthappa on JioCinema, AB de Villiers revealed the three toughest bowlers he has faced: Shane Warne, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rashid Khan. According to AB de Villiers, these bowlers posed significant challenges and left a lasting impression on him during their encounters.

Shane Warne: The Imposing Aura and Hidden Tricks

De Villiers looked back on how Shane Warne's imposing aura made facing him a difficult proposition, even when the conditions seemed to be in the batsman's favor. He shared an anecdote about a specific match where he scored sixty runs against Warne but admitted that Warne's deep understanding of batsmen meant he always had a hidden trick up his sleeve. Despite his success, De Villiers recognized that Warne's exceptional skills made him a challenging bowler to contend with.

"I think Shane Warne in 2006 the first time I travelled to Australia, not so much because of skill and technique and also just the presence of the man and the aura he carried. And obviously I was quite inexperienced. I knew from the get-go he was going to get out," de Villiers recalled.

"That game felt easy, but he was just a smart, incredible player, and it worked out pretty quickly. That’s my technique. It’s not quite spot on when it comes to playing straight. So, he was really going slow, slow, slider straight. And I missed the straight one and not long after that, that was my weakness for 2005, 06 and 07 I would miss straight balls, especially angling a bit back," De Villiers recalled.

"I would fall over, touch with my head. My back lift was a little bit beyond my back and. And I had to pay the juice. I mean I had to go back to the drawing board to figure out my technique, but he was a man who could figure out little things like that and understand there’s something not right with this guy’s bat lift. Let’s go straight and just sided it in there and ultimately I missed one,"he added.

Jasprit Bumrah: Relentless Competitiveness and Intense Battles

AB de Villiers, also included Jasprit Bumrah in the list of toughest bowlers he faced. De Villiers praised Bumrah for his relentless competitiveness and attacking mindset, highlighting the challenges he faced while batting against him. Despite having success against Bumrah at times, De Villiers acknowledged that Bumrah always fought back and got the better of him on occasions, appreciating the intense competitiveness between them.

"Bumrah was always very challenging because he was so competitive, he would never back down, is always in your face so I’ve got a lot of respect for him and the way he plays his cricket. I got a hold of him even a few times. He came back at me and got a hold of me a few times and I love that competitiveness," de Villiers said.

Rashid Khan: Resilience and Attacking Approach

AB de Villiers' selection of Rashid Khan as one of the tough competitors was indeed intriguing, considering De Villiers had hit him for a series of sixes in their previous encounters. However, De Villiers highlighted Rashid's resilience and attacking approach as the factors that set him apart. De Villiers acknowledged that despite being hit for runs, Rashid never shied away from delivering aggressive deliveries to dismiss him.

"Rashid Khan, tough to pick at night once again. Got him a few times and he would always come back. Always in your face. He hit him with three sixes, as he was trying to get me out the next ball. And those are the kind of bowlers I always found difficult to face and always had a lot of respect for," de Villiers said.