Abraham Benjamin de Villiers, popularly known as Mr. 360 and former captain of South Africa, is celebrating his 41st birthday today (February 17). AB de Villiers is revered as one of the finest players in the world of cricket. He scored countless runs for South Africa in international cricket. However, the love and respect he received from Indian fans during his playing days is a rare honor for any foreign cricketer.
When Wankhede Roared with De Villiers' Name...
This admiration was exemplified during a One Day International between India and South Africa at the Wankhede Stadium, where the crowd chanted for AB de Villiers, leaving Indian players astounded. Virat Kohli, a close friend of De Villiers and a part of that match, unveiled this amusing incident.
In a 2018 podcast, Virat Kohli said, "When AB de Villiers came out to bat, the crowd began chanting 'AB-AB'. Rohit Sharma, being a Mumbaikar, was amused and asked the crowd, 'What's this?' with 50,000 people cheering 'AB-AB'." This particular match took place on October 25, 2015.
In that showdown, AB de Villiers smashed 119 runs in just 61 balls, hitting 11 sixes and three fours. His explosive batting set up a massive South African total of 438 runs for the loss of four wickets. Chasing a daunting target of 439, India was bowled out for just 224 runs in 36 overs, succumbing to a massive defeat by 214 runs and consequently losing the five-match ODI series 2-3.
Source: aajtak
AB de Villiers, in his illustrious career with South Africa, scored 8765 runs in 114 Test matches at an average of 50.66, including 22 centuries and 46 half-centuries. His highest score in Test cricket was an unbeaten 278, crafted against Pakistan. In ODIs, De Villiers amassed 9577 runs in 228 matches with an average of 53.50, striking 25 centuries and 53 half-centuries. His highest ODI score, 176, was achieved against Bangladesh.
De Villiers also contributed significantly in T20 internationals, scoring 1672 runs from 78 matches. He holds the world record for the fastest ODI century, marked against the West Indies in just 31 balls. During the 2015 World Cup, under De Villiers’ captaincy, South Africa reached the semi-finals. In a phenomenal performance against the West Indies in Sydney, he scored an unbeaten 162 in just 66 balls, hitting 17 boundaries and eight sixes. In the same match, he set the record for the fastest 150 runs in ODIs (off 64 balls) and smashed 34 runs in a single over.
Source: aajtak
De Villiers' Dazzling IPL Journey...
On May 23, 2018, AB de Villiers bid farewell to international cricket, yet he played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) until the 2021 season. In the IPL, De Villiers first played for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and later represented Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). His partnership with Virat Kohli at RCB produced many unforgettable moments. In 184 IPL appearances, De Villiers scored 5162 runs at an average of 39.70, including three centuries and 40 half-centuries. Unfortunately, the coveted IPL title eluded him.
