‘My cricketing idol is always AB de Villiers’ - Andries Gous weighs in on his biggest inspiration [Exclusive]

Published - 27 Jan 2026, 18:05 IST | Updated - 27 Jan 2026, 18:10 IST

In an exclusive interaction with CricTracker, United States of America wicketkeeper-batter Andries Gous shared his thoughts on how his journey shifted from South African cricket. He also named Rashid Khan, Adam Milne and Arshdeep Singh as the toughest bowlers to face.

Gous spoke about the game-changing moment of his career, highlighting his World Cup knock, and revealed that he admires Rohit Sharma the most among Indian batters. He also conceded that former South Africa captain AB de Villiers is his cricketing idol.

You left South African domestic cricket to build your career in the USA. What were the toughest moments during that transition, and what kept you going?

Yeah, it's quite an interesting journey. About five years ago now we've left South Africa, just with a few bags. And now we're all playing all over the world and enjoying this journey with USA Cricket as well.

Who is the toughest bowler you’ve faced, and what made them so challenging?

Gee, that's a hard question. I think there are so many, but a guy like Rashid Khan is always tough. Just because you're not always sure what's happening. For Seamers, there are so many. A guy like Adam Milne from New Zealand is really hard to face. Even Arshdeep Singh is quite tough as well. There are so many really good bowlers in the world at the moment.

Which innings in your career do you feel were truly game-changing — and why?

I think for me, in the last World Cup when I got that 80-0 against South Africa, that was pretty big in my career. Especially playing against South Africa as well. That opened a lot of doors for me. I just recently got a 100 as well in the ILT, which just makes sure that my name goes out there into all the other leagues. So that was quite cool as well.

Among current Indian batters, whose batting style do you admire the most and why?

I would say I'm a big fan of Rohit Sharma. Obviously, he's world-class. Out of the T20 squad currently, it must be Sanju Samson. I genuinely like the way he plays his cricket.

Who was your cricketing idol while growing up, and why?

As an African growing up, it was always AB de Villiers. I don't think he needs any introduction. He's just a world-class player. I've only played against him once back in 2017. I did spend some time with Faf du Plessis. I speak a lot about batting with him. He's always someone that I really look up to now. I'm a big fan of his and he's a really good person. He's always willing to help me whenever I need something.

Your 80-run unbeaten knock against South Africa in 2024 is still fresh. What went through your mind during that impressive knock, facing bowlers like Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, and Keshav Maharaj?

I think it was not to get too carried away during that time. There was obviously a job to do at hand, chasing a massive target for us. It was just going through my processes and making sure that we can try and get the team as close to the total as possible.