Proteas legend AB de Villiers has been named No 3 in Cricinfo’s countdown of greatest Men’s T20 cricketers.
The leading cricket website in the world ranks De Villiers ahead of West Indian superstars Andre Russell (5), Chris “Universe Boss” Gayle (6), Kieron Pollard (8) and Dwayne Bravo (10).
Tellingly, the Windies quartet won two T20 World Cup titles and numerous Indian Premier League (IPL) championships during their career, while De Villiers has never lifted a major trophy.
Instead, it was De Villiers’ individual brilliance and his impact on the shortest format of the game that has been hailed.
The 41-year-old’s modest T20 international record – 1672 runs at 26.12 with a best of 79 not out – is not a smidge on his franchise statistics, particularly at the IPL where De Villiers was arguably the biggest foreign superstar in the competition’s 18-year history.
De Villiers overall T20 record encompasses 340 matches, accumulated 9424 runs at an average of 37.24, and strike-rate of 150.13.
His IPL numbers are simply staggering. De Villiers played 184 matches, struck 5162 runs, average of 39.70, at a strike-rate of 151.68, for Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
He was at his peak for RCB between 2015 and 2016 when he smashed 1200 runs at an average of 50 from 700 balls (SR 171.42).
De Villiers’ trademark 360-degree style captured the imagination of the Indian public with chants of “AB, AB, AB” ringing around the Chinnaswamy Stadium throughout his career at RCB.
