AB de Villiers: 5 reasons why he is the most loved foreign cricketer in India

AB de Villiers is perhaps the biggest name in world cricket at present. Although he has some worthy competitors in the form of his IPL teammates Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle, De Villiers does manage to get the better of both in terms of popularity.The masterful Proteas batsman may not be the most loved cricketer in the world, but nothing quite matches up to the kind of reputation that he has in India. The Indian fans worship De Villiers to the extent that they have even cheered him on during India-South Africa encounters.Have you ever wondered why fans in the cricket-obsessed nation are so inclined towards AB de Villiers? Here are the 5 most likely reasons.

#5 Respect among fellow cricketers

De Villiers commands huge amounts of respect even from his opponents

AB de Villiers is undoubtedly one of the prominent figures in world cricket in terms of the respect that he manages to garner from fellow cricketers from around the world. The fact that even their own heroes have the utmost regard for the South African makes Indian cricket fans love him even more.

India’s star batsman Virat Kohli, for one, admires De Villiers a lot and spares no opportunity to shower praises on his RCB teammate. On the eve of AB’s 100th Test in Bengaluru last year, Kohli had said about him, "He is not only a great cricketer but a genuine human being too."

The Indian ace batsman is just one of those several cricketers from different countries who look up to AB de Villiers as an inspiration.