"My greatest T20 player of all time is....."- AB de Villiers picks the "T20 G.O.A.T. "; leaves out Virat, Gayle or Babar
Since the inception of Twenty20 cricket, it has become the most followed one by the fans across the globe. Over 100 countries play this format of the game. And with so many T20 leagues around the world, it has become the face of the game.
There have been a number of players who have shown their dominance in this format over the years. The likes of Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Jos Buttler, and many more are some of the icons of the game that have played this format.
The former Indian skipper is the highest run-scorer in this format, with 4008 runs in 115 games at an average of 52.73, including one century and 37 half-centuries. Meanwhile, the Indian captain, Rohit Sharma, is second on the list with 3853 runs in 140 innings, including four centuries and 29 half-centuries.
On the other hand, veteran Kiwi pacer Tim Southee is the leading wicket-taker with 134 scalps in 105 innings, while Bangladesh star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is second with 128 wickets in 109 games. Former South African star De Villiers is also regarded as one of the best ball-strikers in the game.
Interestingly, in a discussion, when De Villiers was asked about the greatest T20 player of all time, he gave a surprising answer. He didn't name his former RCB teammate and good friend Virat nor Gayle.
In an interaction with SuperSport, De Villiers said, "My greatest T20 player of all time is none other than Rashid Khan. 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 the biggest name from Afghanistan to have played the game. He is a brilliant player at any level he plays. Rashid has played a total of 77 T20Is so far in his career and has taken 126 wickets at a brilliant economy rate of 6.22 with a best of 5/3. He has also picked up two five-wicket hauls and four four-wicket hauls.