Highly anticipated The third edition of the SA20 Cricket League The tournament is set to kick off on Thursday (January 9) with an exciting opening match between the defending champions Eastern Cape sunrise and Mai Cape Town In St. George's Park at her grave. As excitement builds for the tournament, the SA20 brand ambassador and legendary cricketer from South Africa AB de Villiers He shared his thoughts with select media outlets, providing insights into the league's potential and players worth watching.
AB de Villiers player to watch out for in SA20 2025
When asked about a standout player for SA20 Season 3, De Villiers didn't hesitate to name Donovan Ferreira, a hard-hitting South African batsman and a new recruit to the SA20 squad. Delhi Capitals (DC) In the upcoming IPL 2025. Ferreira, who was acquired for INR 75 lakh in the IPL 2025 mega auction, has moved on from Rajasthan Royals (RR) To Delhi. acting Joburg Super Kings In SA20, the sister franchise to Chennai Super Kings (CSK)Ferreira caught the attention of cricket pundits.
“I think one standout player, who I haven't talked about much or haven't talked about regularly in the past, is Donovan Ferreira. The only sad thing is that he's batting at too low a level to be able to show his true potential. They're all getting a bit older, as Donovan Ferreira is also not the youngest anymore but I haven't seen enough of him and I hope they push him into third or fourth from time to time so we can see what he's really capable of so that will hopefully be the season In which he gets More playing time and more time ranking. Khel Now newspaper quoted de Villiers as saying.
De Villiers reiterated the importance of using Ferreira at the top of the order, as the batsman often arrives too late to make a significant impact. He explained that Ferreira usually enters the match in the 16th or 17th minute, which leaves him with insufficient balls to display his full skill set.
'“I think he's batting at No. 6, and he showed a little bit of what he can do last season once or twice, but he doesn't have enough balls. I really hope he can come from Over 6 onwards, you know, and sometimes Over 8, where at Most of the time, he only comes in at 16 or 17. He really shows his skill and then he goes off again and the balls are done so that's the guy I'd like to keep an eye on. The 40-year-old added.
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Comparisons with MS Dhoni and batting challenges
De Villiers, famous for his 360-degree shooting ability, made an interesting comparison, noting that Ferreira reminds him of… MS Dhoni During his early years. Interestingly, De Villiers compared Ferreira's batting style to that of Dhoni at his peak, noting the similar ability to dominate bowlers and instill fear in international players like Dale Stein and Mitchell Stark. While he made it clear that he did not directly equate Ferreira with Donnie, he emphasized Ferreira's ability to hit the ball with incredible power and accuracy.
“I think he's a match-winner. Just a fantastic player. He reminds me a little bit of MS Dhoni in his prime, and I'm not comparing them. I'd say it reminds me of him as MS was really brutal against the bowlers. He really hit the ball, all parts of the ground. He made guys like Dale Steyn and Mitchell Starc look like they were afraid to go down to him and that's the feeling I get with Donovan hitting the ball hard. He's got a good eye, hopefully he'll face more Births next season. De Villiers concluded.