Arguably the greatest batsman to have ever stepped onto the cricket field, AB de Villiers turns 37 on Wednesday (February 17) and social media is flooded with birthday wishes for the South African talisman. Hailing from Pretoria, the dasher is nothing short of a nightmare for the bowlers owing to his wide range of shots. His ability to smash the ball at unbelievable areas has also earned him the nickname ‘Mr. 360.’ Apart from being an extraordinary batsman, De Villiers is a live wire on the field who has taken many scintillating catches. Being retired from international cricket in 2018, the swashbuckler has been mainly seen in T20 leagues in the past few years. Ab de Villiers Pens Heartfelt Note After RCB’s Ouster in IPL 2020.
Making his international debut in December 2004, De Villiers didn’t take long in becoming the cornerstone of South Africa’s batting line-up comprising giants like Graeme Smith, Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis. While he tormented bowlers with his big-hitting prowess in white-ball cricket, his patience and mental grit also saw him succeeding in Test cricket. Coming to his numbers, De Villiers has scored 8765, 9577 and 1672 runs in 114 Tests, 228 ODIs and 78 T20Is. As fans continue to pour in wishes for the legendary cricketer, let’s look at some quick facts about him.
AB de Villiers Quick Facts:
# Abraham Benjamin de Villiers was born on February 17, 1984, in Pretoria, South Africa.
# Apart from cricket, De Villiers has also played hockey, football, badminton, rugby and golf at the professional level. Truly an all-rounder!
# ABD is also a recipient of the prestigious national medal from the Late Nelson Mandela for a science project.
# AB was a part of South Africa U19 team in 2002.
# During South Africa’s tour to India in 2008, he became the first Proteas player to score a double century in India.
# De Villiers scored a match-winning century to help South Africa chase down the second-highest ever fourth-innings target of 414 against Australia in 2008.
# He holds the record of scoring the fastest 50, 100 and 150 in ODI cricket.
# After David Warner, the Proteas talisman is the second-highest run-scorer in IPL among overseas players (4849).
# AB de Villiers holds the record for most Test innings without registering a duck (78).
The Proteas star will next take the field in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 which is expected to get underway in March-April. Scoring 454 runs in 15 games, De Villiers enjoyed a sensational run in IPL 2021, and he has to replicate his heroics to guide Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to their maiden title.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 17, 2021 10:47 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).