Rachin Ravindra vs AB de Villiers - comparing their stats after 11 IPL matches

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opener Rachin Ravindra got his IPL 2025 campaign off to the perfect start with a match-winning 65* in the side's opening win over Mumbai Indians (MI). As CSK look to continue their winning momentum in a blockbuster clash against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) today (March 28), fans of both franchises have begun player comparisons between their respective sides of the present and the past.

One such interesting comparison that might have numbers closer than fans might realize is Ravindra at the start of his IPL career to former RCB batter AB de Villiers. It is often forgotten that before becoming an RCB legend and an IPL icon, the South African was part of the Delhi Capitals, then called the Delhi DareDevils, for three years from 2008 to 2010.

De Villiers is the IPL's seventh-all-time leading run-scorer in IPL history with 5,162 runs and still holds the record for the most Player of the Match awards at 25. However, much like Ravindra, who began his IPL career with CSK last year, De Villiers had ups and downs at the start of his IPL journey.

De Villiers took a major leap towards legendary status once he joined RCB and Ravindra is almost certainly expected to become an IPL great by everyone concerned.

Hence, it may be worthwhile deep-diving into how the duo fared after 11 IPL games (Ravindra's current mark).

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Overall Numbers

AB de Villiers' first 11 IPL games spread to his first two seasons - 2008 and 2009 with the Delhi Capitals (DC). Meanwhile, Ravindra played his first 10 IPL matches for CSK in 2024 before the solitary outing thus far in the ongoing 2025 season.

Despite batting at slightly different positions (Ravindra at the top and De Villiers in the middle-order), let us look at their overall counting numbers to start this comparison exercise.

Rachin Ravindra vs AB de Villiers - Overall Numbers

There is very little to separate between the duo in terms of total runs or 50+ scores after 11 IPL outings. While Ravindra has 11 more runs with an extra innings, De Villiers' two 50+ scores also include a three-figure score - something Ravindra is yet to achieve.

Edge: Tie

Impact Numbers

T20 is all about impact numbers like averages, strike rates, and performances in winning causes. Both Ravindra and De Villiers had already won games for New Zealand and South Africa single-handedly before completing 11 IPL games.

However, the duo's impact numbers with the willow should better indicate who had a better start to their IPL career.

Rachin Ravindra vs AB de Villiers - Impact Numbers

The race between Ravindra and De Villiers continues to be as close as they come, with the duo boasting similar impact numbers after their first 11 IPL games. While the South African batter displayed more consistency with an average of almost 35, compared to Ravindra's 28.70, the latter enjoys a considerably better strike rate at 158.83 to De Villiers' 123.21.

It is no surprise that both batters stood up in their respective sides' wins, with Ravindra averaging an outstanding 59.33 in six CSK victories and De Villiers 42.20 in as many Delhi wins. While Ravindra gets De Villiers in averages during team wins, the opposite is true when it comes to strike rate with the Protea legend striking it at 172.95 in victories compared to the Kiwi youngster's 134.84.

Hence, the sea-saw battle between the two swashbuckling batters from one category to the other makes it impossible to pick a clear winner once again.

Edge: Tie

Tie-Breaker

The inseparable nature of the Rachin Ravindra - AB de Villiers comparisons after their first 11 IPL games means we use the 'Boundary Count' rule to determine the winner between the two.

De Villiers faced 223 deliveries through his first 11 IPL outings, while Ravindra has faced only 183. Yet, the latter has smashed an incredible 24 boundaries and 16 maximums at a rate of a boundary every 4.57 deliveries. Meanwhile, De Villiers struck only 16 boundaries and eight maximums in his first 11 IPL matches at a rate of a boundary only every 9.29 balls.

While, it is hard to ignore Ravindra batting more in the powerplay and the evolution of boundary-hitting in T20Is, the more than double frequency at which the Kiwi southpaw has smashed fours or sixes must count for something in a format made for the same.

Winner: Rachin Ravindra