'One of the best players of spin' - High praise for IPL star from AB de Villiers
The legendary AB de Villiers is known to spot talents from all around the world. Being a world-class batter himself, de Villiers knows the nuances of the game more than many other experts, and if he praises a player, one can assume the cricketer is very special.
During the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the former Proteas batter has praised several players from various countries. Among the many players to receive praise from AB de Villiers is the South African wicketkeeper batter, Heinrich Klaasen.
Heinrich Klaasen has been one of the few positives for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a season where not many things have gone their way. Despite having a quality team with several match-winners in the rank, the Orange army has underachieved throughout this year.
However, Heinrich Klaasen, despite not getting ample support, has flourished every time he has come in to bat for SRH. There have been several instances where the other batters haven’t managed to provide good support to him, but Klaasen has done his work with precision.
AB de Villiers praises the spin game of Heinrich Klaasen
While Heinrich Klaasen has been equally good against both pacers and spinners in IPL 2023, his game against the slow bowlers has really been commendable. No wonder the great AB de Villiers has lavished praise on Heinrich Klaasen amidst a fantastic knock against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
“Heinrich Klaassen is a super special player! One of the best players of spin I’ve ever seen.” tweeted AB de Villiers on his Twitter account.
Heinrich Klaassen is a super special player! One of the best players of spin I’ve ever seen.
— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) May 18, 2023
AB also rated Heinrich Klaasen’s knock as the best ton of the season and in the top five overall in the history of the league. For someone to receive such high praise from AB de Villiers himself is a massive thing, and Klaasen deserves every bit of it for showing his exceptional game.
Heinrich Klaasen has 260 runs at an average of 130 and a strike rate of 194.02 against the spinners in IPL 2023 so far. The numbers reflect how good Klaasen has been against the slow bowlers this season, and AB de Villiers was absolutely correct in his tweet.