3 reasons why Tristan Stubbs is the next big thing in South African cricket
As South Africa continues transitioning from the generation that dominated world cricket from the mid-2000s to the late 2010s, 24-year-old Tristan Stubbs' stocks continue rising across formats around the globe. The youngster started as a specialist T20 finisher but has established himself in the South African setup across formats in no time.
After showcasing his exploits in white-ball cricket, the talented batter has also slowly begun cementing his place in the Test side this year. It certainly helps that Stubbs dominated against the big boys in the 2024 IPL and T20 World Cup, making the cricketing world take notice of what's to come from this still-young talent.
South Africa has enjoyed several superstar players' services in all departments over the years and hopes Stubbs falls in that category in a decade. With Tristan Stubbs turning 24 today, here are three reasons why he is the next big thing in South African cricket.
# 1 Potential AB de Villiers 2.0 - Ability to do anything and everything on the cricket field
Tristan Stubbs is just what the doctor ordered in a sport increasingly trending towards versatility and multi-faceted cricketers over uni-dimensional stat machines.
Apart from the batting, the 24-year-old is also more than capable of contributing with his off-spinners. And the cherry on top is his ability to keep wickets, reminding us of a certain AB de Villiers.
![Can Stubbs become this generation's AB de Villiers? [Credit: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/08/21090-17236269584883-1920.jpg?w=500)
While it is too early to anoint Stubbs the next De Villiers, the variety of skill sets with bat, ball, gloves, and in the field indicates the making of something delightfully similar.
In the 2024 IPL season, Stubbs rolled his arm over for two overs and picked up three wickets for the Delhi Capitals. The youngster has 20 wickets across formats in domestic cricket and has kept wickets for his franchise SunRisers Eastern Cape in the SA20.
# 2 Temperament, technique, and skillset to bat anywhere, anytime across formats
It is not often someone can bat at almost all positions under any circumstance across formats at a young age. However, Stubbs has already stood out in that aspect, with the ability to wield his willow in different positions for South Africa and other domestic sides.
After starting his international career by predominantly batting at No. 5 and No. 6 for South Africa in T20Is, Stubbs slowly graduated to No. 4. The right-handed batter has almost always come in at the fall of two wickets for South Africa since the start of 2024.
And now in Test cricket, Stubbs has batted at No. 4 and No. 3 in his first two games against India and the West Indies.
![Stubbs has transformed from a power-hitter to a dependable all-round batter [Credit: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/08/cf08f-17236270976691-1920.jpg)
Despite the constant change of positions, Stubbs has displayed maturity beyond his years with an all-round game that perfectly mixes technique, temperament, and a wide range of shots to succeed at any and every game situation.
In his brief two-year international career, Stubbs has already batted at No. 6 on 13 occasions and No. 4 in nine innings. Furthermore, he has also batted at No. 5 twice in T20Is and No. 3 in the most recent Test against the West Indies.
# 3 Marked yearly Improvement in combination with big-match prowess promises plenty
From someone who began his career as a big-hitting finisher in T20s, Stubbs has already risen as a potential all-format match-winner at different positions even on challenging pitches in a matter of two years.
Evidence of that was his batting on tacky wickets in the 2024 T20 World Cup, especially in the USA. Yet, the South African produced game-changing scores of 33, 27*, 20*, 12*, 29 and 31 in pre-dominantly low-scoring games.
Stubbs was one of only two South African batters to average over 30 in the tournament, helping them reach their first-ever World Cup final.
The IPL further showcased Stubbs' willingness to improve year-on-year, with the 2024 season being the breakthrough. The 24-year-old scored only 27 runs in four innings across the 2022 and 2023 IPL seasons with the Mumbai Indians at a paltry average of 6.75.
However, Stubbs set the tournament on fire for the Delhi Capitals this year, scoring an incredible 378 runs at an average of 54 and a strike rate of 190.90 in 14 outings.
![Stubbs took the attack to the Indian bowlers in the 2024 T20 World Cup final [Credit: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/08/54ecd-17236272521000-1920.jpg)
Apart from the terrific yearly evolution, Stubbs' status in the cricket landscape has risen with his ability to deliver in clutch moments and big matches. He scored a majestic 30-ball 56* in the 2024 SA20 final to help SunRisers Eastern Cape win their second consecutive title.
The Protea right-hander also proved his weight in gold several times during the 2024 T20 World Cup, with a crucial 29 against the West Indies to help the side qualify for the semi-final. Stubbs also resurrected the South African run-chase with a sublime 31 off 21 against India in the grand finale.
The desire to tighten loose ends so early in his career and the ability to absorb pressure to deliver the goods in crunch games is a valuable combination that Stubbs has already unleashed a few times in his young career.