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Josh Philippe has reminisced about his interactions with AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli during his days at the Royal Challengers Bangalore last year. Philippe picked up on how the superstar duo just 'kept it simple' even in the most challenging match situations.
Philippe played only five games for the RCB in the UAE, scoring 78 runs with a high of 33. However, the 23-year-old's fairytale year with the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League 2020-21 apparently impressed the franchise enough to retain him for the upcoming IPL season.
Interacting with ESPNcricinfo, Josh Philippe talked about the lessons he took from AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli and how the pair answered his batting-related queries.
"I think it was just being in the same dressing room as some absolute superstars like that was really special. I sort of leant on AB a lot. He gave me some great advice along the way. It was just really cool to see how they go about their business out in the middle. There were some really challenging situations out there, but they keep it so simple. Every time I asked a question or asked what they were thinking, it just went back down to stand still, watch the ball, some really simple clear messages. It was pretty cool to know that the best in the business just keep it simple," said Josh Philippe.
Josh Philippe was the player of the tournament in the 2020-21 BBL. The flamboyant wicketkeeper-batsman amassed 508 runs from 16 innings (the third-highest in the tournament), doing so at a magnificent strike-rate of 149.4, and played an instrumental role in his side's victorious campaign.
Aaron Finch's praise is pretty special: Josh Philippe
As a reward for these performances, Josh Philippe was named in Australia's T20 squad for the upcoming tour of New Zealand.
Earlier, Australia's white-ball captain Aaron Finch lauded Josh Philippe's 'destructive' batting. Finch also confirmed that barring any injuries, Philippe will bat in the top three, along with him and Matthew Wade.
Responding to his captain's plaudits, Philippe said:
"It was nice to hear him say those words. He sort of mentioned it on the plane but then to say it to the media obviously is pretty special as well, so I've just got to train well and try not to get injured."
Interestingly, while the RCB retained Philippe, they let go of Finch. Philippe will now also hope to feature at the top of the order for Virat Kohli's team in IPL 2021 as well.
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