3 reasons why Aiden Markram could become the next de Villiers

South Africa v Australia - 4th Test: Day 1

The cricketing world is still in shock after news broke that AB de Villiers had retired from international cricket. South Africa Cricket would be particularly disappointed with the news and will feel that their World Cup plans have been set back.

This has left the Proteas in the difficult position of finding someone to fill the gap which de Villiers leaves behind. It will be impossible to replace the man as he is definitely a once in a lifetime player, but as we saw Virat Kohli rise up to the challenge for India, we could find the same happen for South Africa as well.

South Africa's summer season has seen them unveil yet another batting sensation. At just 23 years of age, Aiden Markram has stepped up to the international level in dramatic fashion and has served as the perfect batsman to partner Dean Elgar at the top of the batting order for the Test side.

An aggressive batsman by nature, Markram has smashed his way to four test centuries in just ten test matches - and the young man from Pretoria has shown no signs of slowing down.

His career-best score of 152 against Australia in the fourth test at the Wanderers has seen the international cricket community take note of the young man with Markram making headlines for his incredible knock.

The maturity with which he plays makes it seem as if though the young man has been with the South African side for ages. However, he only made his debut against Bangladesh at the beginning of the 2017/2018 season.

That said, there is much that the world still does not know about the star batsman and in this article, we look at three freasons why Aiden Markram which might just become the next de Villiers.

#1 First South African captain to win a World Cup

South Africa v Australia - 4th Test: Day 1
South Africa v Australia - 4th Test: Day 1

This might sound unbelievable but Aiden Markram is, in fact, the first South African captain to win a World Cup, although it was at the under-19 level.

During the under-19 World Cup, Markram captained his side to triumph, brilliantly leading a team that consisted of star bowler, Kagiso Rabada, and Proteas all-rounder, Andile Phehlukwayo.

It is clear that South Africa have captaincy plans for Markram to lead the ODI side in future. He was appointed as captain of the squad In the recently concluded ODI series against India, and though South Africa experienced a heavy series loss to India, it is clear that South Africa were looking at their long-term prospects and plans for the young man.

#2 Leading run-scorer in the 2014 under-19 World Cup

South Africa v India - 1st Momentum ODI
South Africa v India - 1st Momentum ODI

Aiden Markram showed his hunger for runs at an early age, being the highest run-scorer in the under-19 World Cup. He accumulated 370 runs at a whopping average of 123.

This was a clear sign that the young man would be a word class batsman on the international stage and he has proven this to be the case with his performances thus far. He has a healthy appetite for runs and doesn't waste any time at the crease in getting them.

The test series against Australia highlighted once again just how much mental toughness the young man has. His calm head and maturity are positive signs for someone so young and his lack of fear at the crease does show that he is willing to take the bowling on.

#3 Worked hard to make his way to the team

4th Sunfoil Test: South Africa v Australia, Day 3
4th Sunfoil Test: South Africa v Australia, Day 3

It seems hard to believe, but the young star was almost lost to South African cricket. After leading his team to glory at the 2014 under-19 World Cup, Markram experienced a rough patch in form, and it was the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Andile Phehlukwayo who were making headlines and who eventually received their call-up to the national side.

However, being the dedicated person he is, Markram worked on his game and became one of the star players in the South African domestic scene during the 2016/2017 season.

Reports were that Markram had received several offers to play cricket overseas, but chose to grind it out and make his name back home in South Africa. That's a decision which every South African fan will surely be glad about.

This shows that the international cricketing world had already taken note of Markram's talent even before he made his debut for the Proteas. Playing for his domestic team at the Titans, Markram has surrounded himself with the likes of Mark Boucher and AB de Villiers himself and this is something which can only benefit the young man.

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Edited by Rajdeep Puri