A look at AB de Villiers' phenomenal records and numbers as an era comes to end
Alongside international cricket, De Villiers also made a significant mark in several T20 leagues.
It’s the end of an era as AB de Villiers has brought down curtains to his illustrious career. The former South African captain took to Twitter on Friday (November 19) and made the major announcement. The post went viral in no time as cricket lovers worldwide couldn’t digest the fact the De Villiers’ blitzes over the 22 yards won’t be seen anymore.
Making his international debut way back in 2004, De Villiers didn’t take long in becoming a vital cog of the South African cricket team. Be it showcasing resistance in Test matches or tormenting bowlers for fun in white-ball cricket, De Villiers rose to every challenge which came his way and guided the Proteas side to numerous wins across formats.
While De Villiers was a force to reckon with ever since his international debut, his best was unleashed in late 2010. It seemed like the cricketer has got his hands over a magic wand as he piled up a plethora of runs. The same earned him the captaincy of the national team after Graeme Smith stepped down.
Alongside international cricket, De Villiers also made a significant mark in several T20 leagues, particularly in the Indian Premier League. While the talismanic cricketer shockingly bid adieu to international cricket in 2018, he announced retirement from all forms of professional cricket three years later.
AB de Villiers bids adieu to the gentleman’s game
“It has been an incredible journey, but I have decided to retire from all cricket. Ever since the back yard matches with my older brothers, I have played the game with pure enjoyment and unbridled enthusiasm. Now, at the age of 37, that flame no longer burns so brightly,” wrote De Villiers while sharing a monochrome picture of his.
Speaking of De Villiers’ numbers, the right-handed batter scored over 20,000 runs across formats in international cricket including 47 centuries and 109 half-centuries. His record in the overall T20s, List-A cricket, and First-Class cricket is also staggering.
| Format | Matches | Runs | HS | Ave | SR | 100s | 50s |
| Test | 114 | 8765 | 278* | 50.66 | 54.51 | 22 | 46 |
| ODI | 228 | 9577 | 176 | 53.5 | 101.09 | 25 | 53 |
| T20I | 78 | 1672 | 79* | 26.12 | 135.16 | 0 | 10 |
| FC | 141 | 10689 | 278* | 49.71 | 56.18 | 25 | 60 |
| List A | 263 | 11123 | 176 | 53.47 | 29 | 63 | |
| T20 | 340 | 9424 | 133* | 37.24 | 150.13 | 4 | 69 |
A look at list AB de Villiers’ phenomenal record in professional cricket:-
1. AB De Villiers has smashed the fastest 50, 100, and 150 in ODI cricket, getting the feat in 16, 31, and 64 deliveries respectively.
2. De Villiers averages 63.52 in 50-over World Cups, most among batters who played at least 20 matches in the gala tournament.
3. De Villiers’ tally of 20014 international runs is the second-highest for any South African player. Jacques Kallis tops this list with 25534 runs.
4. The former Proteas captain is one among the nine batters to smash three consecutive ODI centuries.
5. De Villiers has effected joint-most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in a Test match (11). Ge shares the record with Rishabh Pant and Jack Russell.
6. De Villiers has played most innings before bagging his first duck in Test cricket.
7. De Villiers has smashed half-centuries in 12 consecutive Test matches. Only Joe Root has recorded as many Test fifties on a trot.
8. The legend jointly holds the record of hitting second-most sixes (16) in an ODI innings. He shares the feat with Chris Gayle and Rohit Sharma.
9. De Villiers’ tally of 251 sixes is the second-highest by any batter in IPL history.
10. AB de Villiers has also won most Player-of-the-Match awards in the Indian Premier League, 25.
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