AB de Villiers' top 5 knocks in the IPL
AB de Villiers announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Friday, meaning fans have seen the last of him in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
In his message on social media, De Villiers wrote:
"It has been an incredible journey, but I have decided to retire from all cricket. Ever since the back yard matches with my older brothers, I have played the game with pure enjoyment and unbridled enthusiasm. Now, at the age of 37, that flame no longer burns so brightly."
AB de Villiers is a certified legend in the IPL, having made 186 appearances in the T20 league, scoring 5162 runs.
It has been an incredible journey, but I have decided to retire from all cricket.
Ever since the back yard matches with my older brothers, I have played the game with pure enjoyment and unbridled enthusiasm. Now, at the age of 37, that flame no longer burns so brightly. https://t.co/W1Z41wFeli
De Villiers is sixth on the list of all-time highest scorers in the IPL and is the second-highest run-getter among overseas players, with only Australia's David Warner scoring more runs than him.
De Villiers retired as one of the most talented batters to have played the game and his skills were always on full display in the IPL.
Despite representing Delhi Capitals, formerly known as Delhi Daredevils, in the initial years, he spent most of his time in the IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Having joined RCB in 2011, the South African went on to become a fan favorite at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Announcement 🔊 @ABdeVilliers17 retires from all cricket
End of an era! 😔 There’s nobody like you, AB. We’ll miss you dearly at RCB. ❤️ For all that you’ve done and given to the team, to the fans, and to cricket lovers in general, #ThankYouAB 🙏🏼 Happy retirement, legend! https://t.co/JivSPTVn88
Known as "Mr. 360" for his ability to hit the ball to any part of the ground with his unconventional strokeplay, De Villiers has played some phenomenal knocks in the IPL that have left teammates, opponents and fans across teams in awe of his genius.
On that note, here are AB de Villiers' five best knocks in the IPL:
#5 133*(59) vs Mumbai Indians in IPL 2015
AB de Villiers loved playing against the Mumbai Indians (MI) and was at his very best during a MI-RCB league stage clash in 2015. RCB lost Chris Gayle in the fourth over and that's when De Villiers came to the crease.
He then unleashed his full range of shots as he and Virat Kohli powered the team to a mammoth 235/1.
The South African maestro hit 19 boundaries and four sixes in his 59-ball rampage that went on to be his highest score in T20 cricket.
Kohli supported him well with a 50-ball 82, but it was De Villiers' day. He got to his half-century in 29 deliveries. It took him 18 more to reach his century.
Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, still raw and still young at the time, were treated with disdain as De Villiers smacked them around the park.
It was his second century in the IPL and his knock helped the RCB win the match by 39 runs.
#4 105*(54) vs Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2009
AB de Villiers' first IPL century came for Delhi Capitals, then called the Delhi Daredevils, against Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
In their IPL 2009 clash, ABD walked in to bat at 0/1 after just one delivery, with Gautam Gambhir falling for a golden duck. Virender Sehwag soon departed for just six runs.
At 8/2, the scoreboard looked ominous for the Delhi-based team.
However, Tillakratne Dilshan came in and smashed 50 off 27 balls to swing some momentum in their favor and after that, De Villiers took over.
Hitting five fours and six maximums, De Villiers brought up his century in 51 deliveries.
His stunning display powered Delhi to 189, with CSK falling short by nine runs in the chase.
#3 79*(47) vs Gujarat Lions in IPL 2016
In the IPL 2016 Qualifier 1 between RCB and now-defunct outfit Gujarat Lions, Dwayne Smith's 41-ball 73 helped the Lions set a 159-run target.
The RCB were in trouble early on, losing Virat Kohli for a duck and Chris Gayle for nine. Things went from bad to worse as KL Rahul also fell for a duck and Shane Watson went for 1. Sachin Baby also registered a duck. The scorecard read 29/5.
The onus was once again on AB de Villiers to rescue the RCB and he delivered.
Stuart Binny and Iqbal Abdulla played supporting roles with scores of 21 and 33 respectively, but it was the South African who propelled RCB into the final with a stunning 47-ball 79* knock.
AB de Villiers stood tall and kept the scorecard ticking and hit five fours and as many sixes as the RCB eventually completed a comfortable chase, with 10 deliveries to spare.
#2 89*(41) vs SunRisers Hyderabad in IPL 2014
Chasing 156 against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in 2014, the RCB were in early trouble as they lost Virat Kohli and Parthiv Patel in quick succession. Chris Gayle fell just after the powerplay, with the scorecard reading 38/3 after 6.4 overs.
It looked like RCB were headed towards a loss, but AB de Villiers stepped up and how.
Coming in to bat after Gayle's dismissal, he did most of the work as Rilee Roussow fell for 14 (23) and Yuvraj Singh for 14 (16).
When Yuvraj was dismissed, RCB needed 61 off 33 deliveries. In the final two overs, they needed 28. It was fellow South African Dale Steyn bowling the 19th.
Arguably the best fast bowler of the time, Steyn would have bowled many a time to compatriot AB de Villiers in the nets.
However, it was De Villiers who won that battle, smashing the pacer for 24 runs and then sealing the win off the final over.
Off the 63 runs that the RCB scored since Yuvraj's dismissal, De Villiers managed 56 of those.
#1 129*(52) vs Gujarat Lions in IPL 2016
AB de Villiers' third and final IPL century came in another stunning partnership with Virat Kohli.
Playing in the green jerseys, the duo put on a 231-run partnership as RCB posted 248/3 in their 20 overs, thanks to centuries from both.
Kohli played second fiddle for the longest time in the partnership as AB de Villiers put on a show for the fans at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in IPL 2016.
ABD smashed eight sixes and five fours as he blew the Gujarat Lions bowlers out of the park. He scored his half-century off 25 deliveries and got to his ton in 43.
Kohli picked up late on and raced to a century of his own off 53 deliveries, thanks to some delectable death-over hitting.
In return, Gujarat were bowled out for 104, leading to a resounding 144-run win for the RCB.