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Fear of failure always pushes me to focus more on the ball: De Villiers
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Follow UsThe South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman began IPL 2021 with a crucial 27-ball 48 in the season opener against defending champions Mumbai Indians
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) wicketkeeper-batsman AB de Villiers started off the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 with a crucial 27-ball 48 in the season opener against defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI). The focus now shifts to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), who they plan on Wednesday (April 14) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
While de Villiers has been highly successful in the IPL and also for his country over the past decade or so, he still says that the fear of failure is what helps him focus more. "I try to play the situations that I am confronted within the best possible way. That sounds very simple, but the fact of the matter is when you bat in the middle-order, the situation changes every time. So it's a matter of adapting and trying to get in and feel comfortable at the wicket. Once you get going, there is always a little bit of momentum shift and once that happens, it is up to me to make the most of it," de Villiers said in a video posted on RCB's Twitter handle.
"The fear of failure always pushes me to focus more on the ball, I feel if I can get a start then my chances are much better and to cross the line for the guys," he added.
The former South Africa captain further stated that he started preparing for the IPL two months prior to the tournament. "All the experts need to know I am ready. I haven't played any games but I have worked really really hard. It is all about as a professional sportsperson to come into the tournament when you feel comfortable and knowing where is your game at. I reached the stage few weeks back where I knew I am ready to play tomorrow, which is a good space to be in. Two weeks ago, I knew I was ready for the IPL but that does not guarantee success but I try and do the hard yards and hopefully it shows in the middle," said de Villiers.
"The last game I played was in the last IPL but that does not mean I did not put any hard yards, I started my preparation two months ago, but staying fit and then I started hitting cricket balls two months ago," he added.
De Villiers is RCB's second-highest run-getter, having notched up 4,226 runs at 42.26 along with a strike-rate of 159.7. He has scored a couple of centuries and 35 fifties in 131 innings for the franchise.