Being in the same dressing room as some superstars like AB and Virat was special: Josh Philippe

Josh Philippe is all set to make his international debut in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand. Earlier this week, Aaron Finch confirmed that the wicketkeeper-batsman would bat in the top three for Australia.

As David Warner and Steve Smith are rested, it is a vital opportunity for Josh to make a statement ahead of some key ICC tournaments lined-up one after the other. Josh Philippe shone in his role as an opener, piling 508 runs at a strike rate of 149.41 in 16 matches. It was his consistent run of form that helped Sydney Sixers clinch their consecutive BBL title. 

In an interview with ESPN Cricinfo, the youngster revealed how his stint with RCB helped him broaden his horizons. IPL is sculpted in such a way that it allows a youngster to rub shoulders against the best in the world, and also pick a leaf out of their books. He was taken aback by the way AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli went about their business by keeping things simple. 

“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 and they kept 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,” he said.

Josh Philippe noticed a pattern in how AB de Villiers constructs his innings. The Protea batsman's ability to get off strike early in the innings, not letting the pressure of dot balls build captivated the youngster. It is one such facet of the game that he wants to incorporate. 

“One thing I noticed, especially with someone like AB is just his ability to get off strike early. He never blew the game away too early. He was always sort of 10 off 8 or 12 off 10 and he’d set a platform from there and really target the back end. I think for me if that’s where my opportunity is I just need to be really busy at the crease. Whoever is at the other end, just sort of pass the strike off to them and really set up to target the last few overs.” - Josh added. 

[ESPN Cricinfo input]