Looking for A. B. de Villiers!

I wanted to meet him to understand how he looks in real life, but I was too shy to approach him. I would peep from my door viewer to see if he was outside.

Published : Aug 28, 2018 15:57 IST

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Sarfaraz Khan and A. B. de Villiers during a practice session in Bengaluru. “I told him that I wanted to become a batsman like him. He responded saying he wasn’t half as talented when he was my age,” says Sarfaraz on his first interaction with the South African legend.
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Sarfaraz Khan and A. B. de Villiers during a practice session in Bengaluru. “I told him that I wanted to become a batsman like him. He responded saying he wasn’t half as talented when he was my age,” says Sarfaraz on his first interaction with the South African legend.
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Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Sarfaraz Khan and A. B. de Villiers during a practice session in Bengaluru. “I told him that I wanted to become a batsman like him. He responded saying he wasn’t half as talented when he was my age,” says Sarfaraz on his first interaction with the South African legend.

Three years ago, when I was about to debut in the Indian Premier League for Royal Challengers Bangalore, I couldn’t believe I would be in the same side with A. B. de Villiers. He was in the opposite room in the hotel, and I had first seen his kit bag; that itself gave me goosebumps.

I wanted to meet him to understand how he looks in real life, but I was too shy to approach him. I would peep from my door viewer to see if he was outside. But two days passed and I hadn’t seen him. I saw him on the third day, but we officially spoke when I walked in to bat in the game against Kolkata Knight Riders. I hadn’t done any match analysis. At that point, all I could think of was my dream [to bat with AB] being fulfilled. It took a few minutes for the thought to sink in.

He hadn’t seen my game, so he didn’t know about me. When I scored 45 off 21 balls against Rajasthan Royals, he was impressed.

During the course of the tournament, I wanted to meet him again, but privately [to ask for tips]. I saw him enter the washroom, in the change room. In my head, I was like, “This is it. This is the moment I have been waiting for. Though the location [washroom] isn’t an ideal place.” (Laughs)

Once he came out, I told him that I wanted to become a batsman like him. He responded saying he wasn’t half as talented when he was my age.

My day was made!

As told to Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya.

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