The long awaited third edition of SA20 cricket league is set to kick off on Thursday (January 9), with an exciting opening clash between the defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape and MI Cape Town at St George’s Park in Gqeberha. As excitement builds for the tournament, SA20 brand ambassador and legendary South African cricketer AB de Villiers shared his thoughts with select media outlets, offering insight into the league’s potential and players to watch.
AB de Villiers player to watch out for in SA20 2025
When asked about a player who stands out for SA20 Season 3, De Villiers did not hesitate to name Donovan Ferreira, a tough South African batsman and a new recruit for the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the upcoming IPL 2025. Ferreira, who was acquired for INR 75 lakh in the IPL 2025 Grand Auction, moved from Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Delhi. representing Joburg Super Kings in SA20, its sister franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK)Ferreira has caught the attention of cricket pundits.
“I think one player that stands out, and I haven’t talked about often or haven’t talked about him in the past regularly, is Donovan Ferreira. And the only sad thing is that it hits too low to really show its true potential. They are all a bit older, where Donovan Ferreira is also not the youngest anymore. But I just haven’t seen enough of him and I wish they could push him to number 3 or 4 just from time to time to see what he’s really capable of. So that will be my choice. Hopefully this season will be his season to get more playing time and more time in the series.” De Villiers was quoted as saying by Khel Now.
De Villiers reiterated the importance of using Ferreira higher up as the batting often comes too late to make a meaningful impact. He explained that Ferreira usually comes into the game in the 16th or 17th over, leaving him with insufficient balls to show his full range of abilities.
‘“I think he bats at No.6 and he showed a bit of what he’s capable of last season once or twice, but not enough balls. I’m really hoping that he could get in from over 6 and then, you know, and sometimes from over 8, where most of the time he’s only getting into 16th or 17th. He really shows his skills and then he’s out again. He’s gone and the balls are gone. So that’s a guy I’ll be keeping an eye on.” added the 40-year-old.
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Comparisons with MS Dhoni and the challenges of batting
De Villiers, known for his ability to take 360-degree shots, made an interesting comparison, stating that Ferreira reminded him MS Dhoni in his prime. Interestingly, de Villiers compared Ferreira’s batting style to Dhoni, noting the similar ability to dominate bowlers and strike fear into world-class players like Dale Stein and Mitchell Starc. While he made it clear that he wasn’t directly equating Ferreira with Dhoni, he highlighted Ferreira’s ability to hit the ball with incredible power and accuracy.
“I think it’s an out-and-out race winner. Just a fantastic player. He reminds me a bit of MS Dhoni in his prime and it’s that I don’t compare them. I say he reminds me of him where MS was really brutal, against the bowlers. He really hit the ball, all parts of the ground. He made guys like Dale Steyn, Mitchell Starke look like they were afraid to bowl to him. And that’s how I feel about Donovan. He hits the ball so hard. He has such a good eye and, hopefully, he will face a few more deliveries next season.” de Villiers concluded.
