Even at 41, AB de Villiers is making cricket fans wonder whether he retired too soon. The South African legend produced a stunning campaign in the World Championship of Legends, finishing as the tournament’s highest run-scorer with 429 runs in just five innings at a remarkable average of 143.00.
In the final on 2 August in Birmingham, de Villiers delivered a masterclass, smashing an unbeaten 120 off just 60 balls to lead the South Africa Champions to a 9-wicket win over Pakistan Champions while chasing 196. His innings included 10 fours and 8 sixes, and he shared a 125-run partnership with JP Duminy.
The tournament also saw de Villiers rack up scores of 116* off 51 balls against England and 123 off 46 against Australia, turning the WCL into a showcase of his enduring brilliance. Despite retiring from all forms of cricket in 2021, de Villiers’ effortless dominance against international legends sparked debate about whether he could still hold his own in modern T20 cricket.
His former teammate Dale Steyn joined the conversation, stating on X (formerly Twitter):“Unpopular/Popular opinion. Ab is still better than half the internationals at IPL. Maybe even more.”
De Villiers’ IPL numbers back up that sentiment. In 170 matches, he scored 5,162 runs at an average of 39.70 and a strike rate of 151.68, figures that continue to outshine many of today’s top players.