AB de Villiers on Friday announced his retirement from all cricket, bowing out at as one of the greatest batsmen of his generation. He leaves a legacy of great innings.
AB de Villiers on Friday announced his retirement from all cricket, bowing out at as one of the greatest batsmen of his generation. Sport24 looks at 10 of his most memorable innings. 149 PROTEAS v WEST INDIES, JOHANNESBURG 2015 It’s the record-breaking effort that will always occupy top-of-mind awareness in any cricket fan’s memory. Cladded in pink, De Villiers came in at No 3 after an opening partnership of 247 between Hashim Amla and Rilee Rossouw, which occupied 38.3 overs. 59 minutes later, he’d smashed 16 sixes and nine fours in a 44-ball stay at the crease — breaking the record for fastest fifty (16 balls) and hundred (31) in all ODI cricket. Astonishing. 162 PROTEAS v WEST INDIES, SYDNEY 2015 Barely a month later, De Villiers was at it again against the same opponents on a grander stage — the World Cup. It’s rather bewildering to think that he was on 24 off 20 deliveries at one stage, which means the balance of 46 balls that he faced was dispatched for an incredible 138 runs. While innovation was still very much present, this effort would’ve satisfied the purists as well, primarily because various strokes resembled perfect tee shots, something that’s equally aesthetically pleasing for golf and cricket fans alike. 133 ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE v MUMBAI INDIANS, MUMBAI 2015 Another breathtaking effort, one so compelling that former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan jokingly started a petition on Twitter signed by bowlers against the Proteas hero. Coming in at No 3, De Villiers dominated a then record stand of 215 with a fellow master in Virat Kohli, who was content to play a relatively subdued supporting role. His knock was studded with 19 fours, which was eye-catching because he only faced 59 balls.
