AB de Villiers: The Mr. 360 of Modern Cricket
If you love superhero movies, you know how strong Superman is. He literally has no weaknesses and can do anything. And there’s one player who is known as the superman on the cricket field, and that is AB de Villiers. He, too, has the ability to do magic on the field. Just as Superman can shoot lasers from his eyes and fly, ABD can easily send balls out to the skies while batting with ease, make impossible catches, field effortlessly and all this without breaking a sweat. It's like he has a superpower to hit sixes whenever he wants, be it just by scooping the ball against the run of play or just dancing on the crease and playing an outrageous reverse sweep. And just the way Superman always saves the day, AB is always in to rescue his team from tough situations with his incredible ability. But, even Superman had a weakness, the Kryptonite, and ABD’s Kryptonite was his luck, his struggle to win major trophies with both, the South Africa Cricket Team and the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Credit: The Times of India
In this article by ZAP, let’s dive deep into the career of AB de Villiers, his journey and some of his most memorable performances.
Early Life and Background:
Credit: The Cricket Monthly
AB d Villiers' (Full Name: Abraham Benjamin de Villiers) birthday is on 17 February 1984 and he was born in Warmbad, South Africa. From a very young age, ABD showed a natural talent for sports and played all sports like rugby, one of the most popular sports in South Africa, Golf, and in his childhood. His father, too, played for a rugby union and gave all the impetus for AB to take up sports; this is where his story began. Playing multiple sports gave him the athleticism and coordination, which later became the defining characteristic of his cricketing style.
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AB de Villiers had a lot of talent from a very young age, and this showed in his performances for the U-19 South African Team. Even at this age, he batted with maturity and earned a spot for the national team with his spectacular batting displays.
International Debut:
Credit: Rediff
AB de Villers made his international debut in a test match against the England Cricket Team as a 20-year-old on 16 December 2004. Though he started his career as an opener and was impressed with his batting skills, he was often shuffled around the batting order and even briefly took up wicket-keeping duties. The bright light of his early career came when he scored a match-saving half-century from number seven. But his career faced some ups and downs early on, with an average performance in the Australian series in 2005.
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De Villiers Test debut was remarkable, but it was his limited-overs game that he earned recognition for. His form in ODIs was notable, especially during the 2007 T20 World Cup. He had an aggressive batting style and the ability to hit sixes with ease, which suited the limited-overs format the best. On top of this, he was an amazing fielder and could do all kinds of impossible stuff, be it taking breathtaking flying catches, the pinpoint direct hits on the stump, to world-class wicketkeeping skills.
The Captaincy Stint:
Credit: Crictoday
Gary Kirsten named AB de Villiers the limited-overs captain of South Africa in June 2011, a position he had not held at the first-class level. De Villiers accepted the role of captain despite his lack of experience. Under his direction, South Africa won important matches, notably a record-breaking victory over Sri Lanka by 258 runs; it was Sri Lanka’s worst ODI defeat ever until their defeat to India by 317 runs in 2023.
After Mark Boucher retired due to his eye injury (read more about it in Cricket Injuries), he assumed wicket-keeping responsibilities as well as serving as captain for Test matches. De Villiers kept up his impressive play, going on to record a century and picked up 10 dismissals in a Test match—a remarkable feat for a wicket-keeper.
He made headlines in 2015 for his brilliant batting performances by recording the fastest fifty and century in One Day Internationals. He became one of the 2015 Cricket World Cup's leading run scorers, and his leadership helped South Africa reach the semifinals.
AB de Villiers Performances for South Africa:
|
Format |
Matches Played |
Runs Scored |
Highest Score |
100s |
50s |
||
|
Test |
114 |
8,765 |
278 |
50.66 |
54.52 |
22 |
46 |
|
ODI |
228 |
9,577 |
176 |
53.5 |
101.1 |
25 |
53 |
|
T20I |
78 |
1,672 |
79 |
26.12 |
135.17 |
0 |
10 |
Mr. 360 - The Versatile Batsman:
Credit: News18
We know we're up for a show every time we watch AB de Villiers bat. His bat has answers to all of the bowler’s questions. His vast repertoire of cricket shots is one of the most remarkable aspects of his batting technique. He can play all shots, whether it's his audacious sweep shots, wands like Pull shots, or conventional cover drives and straight drives. His ability to innovate, execute unorthodox shots, and score runs out of nowhere made him a nightmare for all bowlers.
AB de Villers - The RCB and IPL Icon:
Credit: ESPN Cricinfo
During his time with the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, he was one of the team’s best players. He was their pillar, one who could do it all. Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers were two of the best duos on the cricket ground and fans loved ABD’s connection with him. His influence on RCB is indescribable. Mr. 360, for his knack for playing all types of cricket shots and entertaining fans, always left spectators awestruck. He became the go-to player for the RCB thanks to his creative strokeplay and unequalled ability in pressure conditions. Beyond his on-field prowess, his sportsmanship and dedication won him fans' love and solidified his reputation as an RCB and Chinnaswamy legend and one of the greatest players in IPL history. He for sure is one of the most loved foreign cricketers in India, a privilege not many players can boast of.
After the 14th season of the Indian Premier League, Ab De Villiers announced his retirement on November 19, 2021. For the 2023 season, he declared that he would return to RCB, but not as a player. De Villiers' outstanding contribution to the squad from 2011 to 2021 earned him induction into the RCB Hall of Fame on May 17, 2022.
AB de Villers IPL Stats:
AB has played for only 2 teams in the IPL, one where he started his IPL journey, which is Delhi Daredevils (Delhi Capitals now) and one where he became the league’s legend at Royal Challengers Bangalore. Here are his stats for both teams:
For RCB:
|
Year |
Matches Played |
Runs Scored |
Highest Score |
Total 100s |
Total 50s |
|
2011 |
16 |
312 |
65 |
0 |
2 |
|
2012 |
16 |
319 |
64* |
0 |
3 |
|
2013 |
14 |
360 |
64 |
0 |
2 |
|
2014 |
14 |
395 |
89* |
0 |
3 |
|
2015 |
16 |
513 |
133* |
1 |
2 |
|
2016 |
16 |
687 |
129* |
1 |
6 |
|
2017 |
9 |
216 |
89* |
0 |
1 |
|
2018 |
12 |
480 |
90* |
0 |
6 |
|
2019 |
13 |
442 |
82* |
0 |
5 |
|
2020 |
15 |
454 |
73* |
0 |
5 |
|
2021 |
15 |
313 |
76* |
0 |
2 |
For Delhi Daredevils/Capitals teams:
|
Year |
Matches Played |
Runs Scored |
Highest Score |
Total 100s |
Total 50s |
|
2008 |
6 |
95 |
26* |
0 |
0 |
|
2009 |
15 |
465 |
105* |
1 |
3 |
|
2010 |
7 |
111 |
45 |
0 |
0 |
AB de Villiers’ Cricket Records List and Stats:
Credit: Crictracker
Here’s a list of all cricket records by AB de Villiers:
AB de Villiers Fastest 50 in ODI Cricket:
In the 2015 ICC ODI World Cup, de Villiers blazed his way to the fastest 50 in ODI history, taking just 16 balls to reach the milestone.
AB de Villiers Fastest 100 (Century):
ABD once smashed the fastest century in ODIs, reaching 100 in a mere 31 balls against the West Indies in 2015, a breathtaking display of power hitting.
AB de Villiers Highest Score in ODI:
De Villiers' highest score in ODIs is a formidable 176 not out, which he scored against Bangladesh in 2017.
AB de Villiers 44 balls 149 runs:
In a stunning innings against the West Indies in 2015, de Villiers scored an incredible 149 runs off just 44 balls, leavins fans and experts in sheer amazement. It was a masterclass in controlled aggression.
AB de Villiers Highest Score in IPL:
De Villiers' highest score in the Indian Premier League (IPL) is 133* not out, achieved while playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2015. His exceptional batting skills have made him a beloved figure in IPL history.
Ab De Villiers Centuries:
De Villiers has 25 ODI and 22 Test centuries to his name. In 2005, he scored his first ever Test Century against England and in 2007, scored his first ODI Century against West Indies. In One-Day Internationals, he also owns the world record for the faster 100 and 150 runs.
Read More: Most Centuries in All Formats
Some More Achievements:
Read More: Most Runs in all formats | Most Sixes in all formats | Most Wickets in all formats
AB de Villiers: The Autobiography:
Abraham Benjamin De Villiers released his autobiography AB: The Autobiography, one of the best cricket books one can read. In the book, he remembers his early years, when he first developed his love for cricket. He shares emotional moments related to his determination to become the best player in the world. He talks about the hectic scheduling and the evolving cricket scene. He likes T20 leagues but harbours fond memories of old-fashioned cricket. ABD hopes for South Africa to win an ICC trophy in his autobiography.
AB de Villiers Retirement:
Credit: ICC
AB shocked the cricket world in 2018 at the age of 34 by announcing a shock retirement from international cricket despite being at his peak. he announced this through his twitter profile and said "I have had my turn, and to be honest, I am tired." He said that it was now the turn for younger players to take the team ahead. From IPL he retired in a similar fashion, by deciding to hang up his boots after 2021 season.
FAQ:
Q - Did AB de Villiers undergo eye surgery?
ABD had an eye disorder called Keratoconus which is an eye disorder that causes the cornea to gradually thin and bulge into a cone shape. It can result in distorted vision and requires treatment, such as surgery which ABD underwent in 2017.
Q - What jersey number did AB de Villiers wear in cricket?
AB wore the jersey number 17 during his international cricket career for the South African national team and in the IPL for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Q - What is AB de Villiers' height?
de Villiers is approximately 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm) tall.
Q - How many runs did AB de Villiers score in IPL 2021?
AB de Villiers scored a total of 313 runs for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL 2021 season.
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