Not Chris Gayle or Rashid Khan, AB de Villiers called Jasprit Bumrah the greatest player of T20:

News India Live, Digital Desk: T20 cricket is often considered a batsman’s game, where players like Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli have dominated. But AB de Villiers, one of the best batsmen in the world, has a different opinion. He has kept Bumrah’s ability at the top.

Why did De Villiers choose Bumrah?

AB de Villiers, during a conversation on his YouTube channel, gave solid reasons behind choosing Bumrah as the ‘GOAT’:

King of difficult overs: According to de Villiers, “Bowling in the powerplay and death overs is the toughest task in T20, and Bumrah is an expert at it.”

Invisible Pressure: He said that the fear of Bumrah is so much that batsmen are afraid to take risks against him, which increases the chances of getting wickets at the other end.

Performance in T20 World Cup 2026: India’s recent T20 World Cup 2026 After the victory (where Bumrah bowled match-winning spells at crucial junctures), De Villiers considered him a rightful candidate for Player of the Tournament.

Perfect in every situation: Be it the short boundaries of Chinnaswamy or the tricky pitch of New York, Bumrah’s economy rate and accuracy of his yorkers make him ‘special’.

Left these giants behind

Usually when it comes to the greatest T20 players, these names are discussed:

Chris Gayle: Who is called ‘Universe Boss’.

Rashid Khan: Whom De Villiers himself described as his all-time favorite in 2023.

Lasith Malinga: Who has countless records of IPL in his name.

Virat Kohli: Who is among the batsmen who have scored the most runs in T20 international cricket.

Bumrah’s figures testify (T20 World Cup 2026)

Total wickets: Most wickets for India in the history of T20 World Cup (40+ wickets).

Economy Rate: His economy during the tournament was less than 6, which is impossible in modern T20 cricket.