The youngster shares uncanny resemblance with the former Proteas great.
Known as the new ‘AB de Villiers’ of South Africa cricket, 24-year-old Matthew De Villiers has already become a widespread phenomenon due to his uncanny resemblance with the former Proteas great.
He recently made waves with his First-Class debut and gave a testament to his batting prowess with stellar performances. Giving glimpses of promise to become the next big thing in South Africa cricket, Matthew also shares references with other Proteas greats as well – being a graduate of the prestigious Wynberg Boys High School, a renowned South African Cricket School with alumni like Jacques Kallis & Allan Lamb.
He wears the same iconic No.17 jersey, donned by AB de Villiers in his playing career. Even before entering the field, his warm-up routine reminds one of AB de Villiers.
Not only that, the youngster also shares a similar batting stance and his playing style and strokeplay is almost like watching AB bat himself, with sheer resemblance to his pull shots and backfoot punches.
Much like senior AB, Matthew is also a gun fielder and can cover all positions, equally comfortable in the slips as he is in the deep.
Here’s a video that serves as proof.
The young Proteas cricketer made his first-class debut recently back in October, representing the Warriors in a 4-Day Domestic Series match against North West at St George’s Park, Port Elizabeth.
He wasted no time making an impression with the bat, delivering two impressive innings. He scored 94 runs in the first and 58 in the second, contributing significantly as the match ended in a draw.
A dynamic middle-order batter, he has the ability and the temperament to rotate the strike and steadily build his innings by keeping the scoreboard moving. Rather than relying on explosive big hits, he showcases his skill by finding gaps and running hard between the wickets, drawing comparisons to ABD’s ability to read the game.
Before joining the Warriors, he was a standout performer for Western Province Colts and consistently ranked among the top run-scorers in the Western Province Cricket Association premier league while playing for Claremont Cricket Club.
Matthew De Villiers is definitely one of the upcoming stars to watch out for. Apart from breaking into the national team in due course of time, Matthew can also become a sought-after name in global T20 leagues.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) itself has seen so many Proteas youngsters come and become overnight sensations and given he can continue his stellar displays, the future is bright for this talented sensation.
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