Ab de Villiers: T20 cricket will grow inevitably at the expense of other formats

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De Villiers says it seems clear that T20 cricket will continue to grow and grow

Former India skipper Virat Kohli is struggling with the bat for a long time, and it would be interesting to see how the right-handed batter goes about his business in the upcoming Asia Cup, after getting the much-needed break.

Former India skipper Virat Kohli is struggling with the bat for a long time, and it would be interesting to see how the right-handed batter goes about his business in the upcoming Asia Cup, after getting the much-needed break. 

Everyone knows what kind of friendship Kohli imparts to former Proteas legend Ab de Villiers. The pair shaped an impressive partnership while playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. 

In a meeting with NDTV, de Villiers talked about the form of Virat Kohli, the effect of developing T20 leagues on international cricket, how he aims to help the underprivileged children in India, and much more.

Kohli had last time scored a century in 2019 and since then the three-figure mark has evaded him. 

“Virat is one of the greatest cricketers ever to play the game. The form is temporary, class is permanent. Virat remains world-class. Virat and I remain in regular contact. We are friends, and he certainly does not need me to tell him the importance of working hard during a bad patch,”

de Villiers told NDTV.

Earlier, England test skipper Ben Stokes stepped down from the ODI format. The former South African player says that it is clear that T20 cricket will continue to grow at the expense of other formats.

“It seems clear that T20 cricket will continue to grow and grow, inevitably at the expense of other formats,”

he said.

When asked whether tri-series can help ODI cricket, de Villiers said:

“I think the impact would be minimal.”

“There will always be space for international cricket, so long as it generates revenue for the game, and it certainly does that now. There is, however, no doubt that global franchises will play a major role in the evolution of the game,”

he added.

Recently, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting spoke about Suryakumar Yadav and he said that the India batter reminds him of de Villiers. Talking about the comparisons, de Villiers said:

“He looks a fine player, and I will enjoy watching him bat. Every player should have the opportunity to be themselves.”

When asked about his association with RCB, de Villiers said:

“I have been privileged to be associated with RCB for many years, and remain in close contact with the franchise. I am looking forward to being inducted into the RCB Hall of Fame at some stage during the 2023 IPL – that will be a great honor.”

“The Proteas have a strong team and they have as good a chance as any team of winning the tournament in Australia. The challenge in T20 cricket is always to generate some winning momentum,”

said de Villiers.

Speaking about England’s approach in Tests, famous as ‘Baseball’, de Villiers said:

“Brendon McCullum is an innovator, and England’s approach to Test cricket in recent months has certainly generated interest in the game. That said, playing conditions will always affect how you can play. While it may be possible to attack relatively flat wickets, it may be more difficult when the ball is moving around.”

He said:

“I will be happy. That will be worthwhile. Of course, we plan to have a positive impact on many, many lives, but each one matters.”

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