India’s most immaculate cricketer, Virat Kohli, recently went ga-ga over ex-South African captain AB de Villiers and hailed him the best cricketer he has ever played with. Kohli’s praise for the legendary batter came as a heartfelt tribute when de Villiers was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, joining England’s Alastair Cook and Indian women’s cricket icon Neetu David in the class of 2024.
De Villiers was often called “Mr. 360” because of his perfect shots all over the park. Since his debut in South Africa back in 2004, his first Test century in that series marked the beginning of a legendary career. More than 20,000 international runs would be scored in all formats of the game.
Mr 360 inducted in the ICC Hall of Fame 🎖
Saluting the impeccable brilliance of AB de Villiers 👊 pic.twitter.com/vhJ9Z6GYzG
— ICC (@ICC) October 16, 2024
In Test cricket, he left an imprint with his unbeaten 278 against Pakistan in 2010 and became the highest individual score by a South African in Test cricket. AB de Villiers also marked himself as a wicketkeeper, equalling the record for most dismissals in a single Test match by taking 11 catches against Pakistan in 2013. His adaptability and versatility made him one of the most valuable players worldwide.
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AB de Villiers was equally devastating in one-day cricket, where he is the record holder for the fastest century in men’s ODIs. He was the first recipient of the ICC Men’s ODI Player of the Year award and did so consecutively, a testament to his unparalleled dominance in white-ball cricket. This South African’s batting average of over 50 in Tests and ODIs coupled with an astonishing strike rate of above 135 in T20s made him the undisputed master of all three formats.
Virat Kohli, who had spent several seasons sharing a dressing room with de Villiers at the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), penned a long emotional tribute to his close friend. “You are thoroughly deserving of your place in the Hall of Fame. Your impact on the game has been unique, and you are the most talented cricketer I have played with, the absolute number one,” Kohli added.
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He continued: “What was really special about you is that you had an incredible belief in your ability to execute your plans. Even when we were pitching up against each other in international cricket, you were always in tune with what the team needed, which makes you one of the hardest players to plan against.”
