Pandya claims de Villiers as his 'bunny'

It takes a brave bowler to claim AB de Villiers as your bunny, such is the South African's quality. But Mumbai Indian spinner Krunal Pandya did just that in Monday night's IPL clash.

And the 26-year-old has just as much reason as any bowler on the face of the earth to gloat.

In four IPL matches they have played, Pandya has claimed de Villiers' wicket four times, for just 33 runs at an average of 8.25.

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Indeed, before Tuesday night's game, de Villiers had never hit more than a single off Pandya's slow left-arm orthodox, and had never made more than five runs off his bowling in an innings before losing his wicket.

The South African got a measure of revenge at the Wankhede stadium, scoring 21 runs from the 11 balls he faced of Pandya's bowling, with two sixes and a boundary, before losing his wicket.

As the top edge nestled safely in the hands of Jasprit Bumrah, Pandya signaled a four to send the South African on his way, co-opting the umpire's signal for a boundary to indicate it was four successive matches he'd claimed the prize scalp.

In their first meeting last season, de Villiers lasted five balls, scoring three uneasy singles before he aimed a drive at a wider ball, was beaten by the turn and comprehensively stumped. For good measure, Pandya also claimed Virat Kohli's wicket in that same over.

In Bangalore's second encounter with Mumbai last year, de Villiers had scored four singles from five balls before he was cramped for room and top-edged a shot to deep midwicket.

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And just last month, de Villiers, who has been on the comeback trail from injury this season and not yet at his best, scored five runs from 11 balls against Pandya before he was sensationally caught by Rohit Sharma.

Nobody has taken de Villiers' wicket as regularly in T20 cricket. Ravi Ashwin and Adil Rashid each have three dismissals from five matches in internationals, but he averages 26 and 36 with the bat against each respectively.

Saeed Ajmal is the most successful bowler against de Villiers in one-day cricket with six wickets from 17 matches, albeit at an average of 59.5, while in Test cricket, Stuart Broad has a legitimate claim to call de Villiers his bunny, with 10 dismissals from 14 Tests.

Not everything went according to plan for Pandya last night, however. A mishap in the field saw him hurt his hip after landing awkwardly on the ball diving to save a run.

He struggled to run when coming out to bat, and collapsed in the crease after a single, retiring hurt on 2 after two balls faced.