[Watch] WCL 2025: AB de Villiers picks his top three batters of all time
AB de Villiers is currently playing in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 for the South Africa Champions.
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Legendary South African batter AB de Villiers, who is currently captaining the South Africa Champions in the World Championship of Legends (WCL 2025), revealed his top three batters of all time across formats.
The former was asked to name his favorite batters ever. After briefly considering West Indies icon Brian Lara, de Villiers ultimately settled on his final three. Notably, de Villiers' top three does not feature Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar, the highest run-getter in history, nor Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, the second-highest.
"That's such a difficult question. Of all time, all formats, Jacques Kallis, Brian Lara, no, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting, and Virat Kohli," he said in the sidelines of WCL 2025 to Star Sports.
.@ABdeVilliers17 reveals the batters and bowlers who stood out to him, the names that left a lasting impression. 👏#WCL2025 👉 18th July to 2nd August, Every Day Live on Star Sports Network pic.twitter.com/2jUrgNDXvO
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 26, 2025
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AB de Villiers also names his top three bowlers
All three cricketers have made a huge imprint on the game. Kohli, with 27,599 international runs, stands third on the list of highest run-scorers across formats. The stat batter also leads the list for most centuries in the 50-over format with 51 tons. While he has retired from T20Is and Tests, Kohli will represent India only in ODIs.
Ponting, another legend on de Villiers' list, sits just one place below Kohli in the all-time run charts with 27,483 runs. The former Australian captain was the main member of the strong Aussie lineup in the 2000s. Meanwhile, Jacques Kallis, who has 25,534 runs to his name, is considered one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history.
In the same interaction, de Villiers also named his top three bowlers of all time, including Mohammad Asif from Pakistan, his former South African teammate Dale Steyn, and Australia’s Glenn McGrath. Asif, though his international career was cut short, is remembered for his seam and swing skills. While Steyn bagged 697 wickets, McGrath finished with 948 international wickets, more than any other Australian fast bowler.
Meanwhile, in the recent match 8 of the WCL 2025 against England Champions, the South Africans hammered an unbeaten 116 off just 51 balls. Chasing 152, his heroics helped South Africa Champions secure their third win in as many games, putting them comfortably atop the tournament standings. Alongside Hashim Amla, who scored a 29*, de Villiers ensured his side chased down the total with ease.