AB de Villiers terms Rashid Khan 'the greatest T20 player of all time'

Former South Africa skipper and star batter AB de Villiers has picked his greatest T20 player of all time. Experts can often be seen siding with one player or the other in this perpetual debate of finding the best. The likes of  Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, Jos Buttler, David Warner, and Kieron Pollard are often seen as the usual suspects in such debates. 

De Villiers has played a lot of cricket with Virat Kohli during his stint with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. The camaraderie the two international cricketers share with each other have been widely known in the cricketing world. The former Indian skipper is the highest run-scorer in T20Is (4008 runs) and the IPL (6411 runs). Meanwhile, legendary West Indies batter Chris Gayle is the all-time leading run-getter in the T20 format, having amassed over 14,000 runs across tournaments.

While speaking to SuperSport, De Villiers, often dubbed as Mr. 360, was asked about his choice for the greatest T20 cricketer of all time. Surprisingly, he did not pick his good friend Kohli or Gayle and instead went with the 24-year-old Afghan player Rashid Khan, calling him ‘the best’. While saying so, he praised Khan for his three-dimensional contribution on the field and his competitive attitude.

"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", he said.

Rashid Khan won IPL 2022 title with Gujarat Titans

Rashid Khan is one of the main attractions in any T20 cricket tournament. He has been a T20 mercenary ever since he stepped into the world of franchise cricket. The Afghan all-rounder is the third-highest wicket-taker in T20Is. He has scalped 126 wickets from 77 games, which includes four four-wicket hauls and two five-wicket hauls. He has proved his ability with the bat as well, having added 1893 runs to his name in 222 innings.

The 24-year-old spinner won the 2022 IPL title with newcomers Gujarat Titans. He joined the Hardik Pandya-led side prior to the tournament last year, thus ending a brilliant spell with Sunrisers Hyderabad.

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