Former West Indies player and one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket, Brian Lara has heaped praise on AB de Villiers after his match-winning innings in the first match of IPL 2021 on Friday.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) stalwart played a blistering knock of 48 runs off 27 balls against the Mumbai Indians (MI) and helped his side chase down the paltry target of 160 runs.
De Villiers’ knock powered the Bangalore-based franchise to edge out the five-time champions in the thrilling last over and register a two-wicket win at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Calling the South African legend “timeless”, Lara praises De Villiers for his game awareness and shot selection while keeping his temperament cool under pressure.
Speaking on Star Sports Network, the 51-year-old said, “He is timeless. He has got the experience. IPL is the only form of cricket he is playing at the moment. I suppose he is keeping fit and ready for it. At this stage, when you lost Virat Kohli, RCB needed him to come good.
“He was explosive at the right time, he controls the game. He came in after Glenn Maxwell as well, he controlled the game and got them home,” Lara added.
Virat Kohli’s men will look to continue their winning momentum when they take on Eoin Morgan-led Kolkata Knight Riders in their second match on April 18 in Chennai.