10 best AB de Villiers innings
Born on 17th February 1984, Abraham Benjamin de Villiers is a supremely talented and a gem of a batsman who can tear apart any bowling attack on his day. Today, he is one of the best batsmen in the world, across all formats. His supreme ability to play the ball anywhere on the ground against the best bowlers got him the famous tag of Mr. 360.
He is a versatile cricketer with overflowing talent and temperament who can change his game according to the team’s need. Not only as a batsman, he can contribute big-time in the field as well. He is athletic, acrobatic and ever-reliable as a fielder and can also double up as a wicket-keeper when required.
His supreme ability caught the eye of the national selectors in December 2004, when he was just 20-years old. He made his Test debut against England and scored a fine 52 in his fourth Test innings to help South Africa save a Test. Soon, an ODI debut followed and consistency became a big part of his game as he grew in experience.
Since then de Villiers has gone on to become one of the modern-day greats and is one of the most consistent players today. Playing according to the situation, adjusting to the team’s needs, playing at whatever position the team and the situation demands.
So, here we look at 10 best innings that AB de Villiers has played in international cricket thus far.
#10 69* vs England, Chittagong, 2014
In a must-win encounter against England in the 2014 T20 World Cup, South Africa were put into bat. After a solid start (90-run opening partnership in 10.5 overs), stand-in skipper AB de Villiers promoted himself to No. 3. But, he saw the Proteas lose momentum towards the middle stages of the game as they slumped to 128/3 in 16 overs.
But the next four overs saw the ball flying to all parts of the ground as De Villiers cut loose. Scoring a 28-ball 69, he not only scored the then fastest T20I fifty by a South African but also helped the Proteas finish with a big total of 196.
In the end, 196 proved to be just about enough as South Africa won by 3 runs and qualified for the semis. De Villiers proved to be the difference between the two sides and was fittingly announced as the Player of the Match.