The postponement of the 2020 T20 World Cup may have derailed AB de Villiers’ possible return to South Africa for now, but he is happy to get back to playing cricket in some form after a strict five-month lockdown in South Africa due to Covid. . -19.
In this period, the only cricket he played was in the 3TC experimental competition in Centurion, where he threw a half-century 21 ball to lead his team, the Eagles, to victory. Last week, de Villiers joined the Royal Challengers Bangalore team for the 2020 IPL in the United Arab Emirates, and had his first hit on Saturday.
“It was good, very nice to be there,” De Villiers told RCB TV. “It was night, the lights were a bit blurry, the wicket was a bit sticky, so it was quite a challenge and actually if I could have done it my way I would have done it after a long time. So, I really kept my basics in place. I had to watch the ball carefully and hit some good shots towards the end, which was nice. “
De Villiers participated in a full session that included warm-up drills, a soccer game, a batting session, and ground maintenance drills. His South African teammate Chris Morris, his latest recruit at the auction, was one of the bowlers at De Villiers amid a battery of net throwers and pitching specialists. The day before, Dale Steyn was part of the first group of players to train.
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That De Villiers trained with the gloves was noteworthy, considering he hasn’t held onto the IPL since 2013. However, he returned to hold ground during his stint with the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League earlier this year. While the Royal Challengers haven’t officially confirmed if they’re thinking along those lines (they have Parthiv Patel and Australian Josh Phillipe as specialty wicketkeepers), it’s something the franchise feels could be a “topic of discussion.”
“We’ve had a lot of discussions about the makeup of our team. I think it’s hard to say anything now, we have three weeks of camp to go through and see how things are going physically. Obviously AB has held ground before and that will be a topic of discussion. “Head coach Simon Katich said during a media interaction last week. “He has a very important role to play for RCB, given his level and performances over the years for us and South Africa. We know he is world class. He will be revitalized with the break. We will play it by ear, come on see what happens. “
‘The blockade was a huge obstacle’ – Jonty Rhodes
On the other hand, Jonty Rhodes took over the Kings XI Punjab group during his first session as a field coach. Rhodes is returning to the IPL after spending two seasons away from his post with the Mumbai Indians. Like the rest of the players and support staff, Rhodes was also locked up in South Africa. Although initially concerned, he feels comfortable having served the mandatory six-day quarantine.
“I must confess that being away from home was a huge concern, having spent the last five months locked up in South Africa, but the biggest hurdle I had to overcome was those first six days. [in quarantine]”he told the Kings XI website.” That is done. Here, as part of the coaching staff, we have to manage the players, they too have had a long period of blocking. Although some of the guys have been practicing on the networks, when they have had the opportunity, there is no match practice in their systems. “
Rhodes is excited for the young group he oversaw Sunday. He put the onus on veteran players to lead by example, while also being excited about the presence of a young and exciting group of fielders in the setup.
“From an energy perspective, I always look for the senior players to lead that because there are some talented young players – Mayank [Agarwal], Karun Nair, Deepak Hooda … some great gardeners, “he said.” But they are guys like [Mohammed] Shami who, to me, are so important to this team because they are so often admired and respected in very high regard, especially in Indian cricket circles. If they are setting high standards, then young players, it is easier for them to follow. So it’s great to see Shami bhai’s speed towards the ball, his great technique, and just showing the youngsters that he still has something left in the tank.
“I just came out of the room today and I love all the energy and atmosphere of this team. I think that’s what will make a difference. It’s great to be a part of the lion’s den, I’ve been out of IPL for two seasons as well. which for me is a new beginning in many ways, and it is always exciting to work with talented young players that you have seen but have never worked with before. “
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