All posts tagged: abraham benjamin de villiers

West Indies Star Equals AB De Villiers’ All-Time ODI Record, Slams Fastest…

West Indies Star Equals AB De Villiers’ All-Time ODI Record, Slams Fastest…

Published by Webster

Matthew Forde equalled Ab de Villiers’ record for the fastest fifty in ODIs.© ICC Matthew Forde announced himself on the international stage in spectacular fashion on Friday, equalling the record for the fastest fifty in One-Day International (ODI) history during the second ODI between West Indies and Ireland in Dublin. Coming in at No. 8, the 23-year-old hammered a blistering half-century off just 16 balls, matching the iconic record set by AB de Villiers in 2015 against the very same West Indies side. Forde’s whirlwind knock came at the perfect time for the visitors, who were looking to level the three-match series after a heavy defeat in the first ODI. He eventually fell for 58 off 19 balls in the 47th over, having struck two fours and eight towering sixes. Remarkably, 56 of his 58 runs came via boundaries, leaving the Irish bowlers stunned by the sheer brutality of his hitting. Thanks to Forde’s late onslaught, the West Indies managed to post a commanding 352 for eight in their 50 overs—a massive turnaround …

“You Should Not Be…”: AB De Villiers’ Big Warning For Australia Ahead Of WTC Final vs South Africa

“You Should Not Be…”: AB De Villiers’ Big Warning For Australia Ahead Of WTC Final vs South Africa

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Legendary South African batter AB de Villiers warned Australia not to take South Africa lightly during the ICC World Test Championship final at Lord’s in June, saying that though the team lacks experience, they have still found a way to create something special. South Africa will be aiming to secure their first-ever ICC World Test Championship when they take on Australia in the title clash at Lord’s from June 11 onwards. The South African team has been announced, featuring promising, but inexperienced talents like Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton and Corbin Bosch. Speaking in a video by ICC, De Villiers said that South Africa’s WTC final qualification is a bit surprising given their lack of overall experience, but the team has the ability to create something special despite this major shortcoming. “Yeah. I think that to all of our surprise, the Proteas have managed to qualify for the final. I say surprise because I feel there are more experienced, more well-oiled teams out there like Australia. It is the teams that …

“Eat That”: AB de Villiers Tears Into Virat Kohli Strike-Rate Critics

“Eat That”: AB de Villiers Tears Into Virat Kohli Strike-Rate Critics

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Virat Kohli is top-scoring batter in IPL 2025 so far© BCCI/Sportzpics Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) sit on top of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, thanks to a blistering run that saw them win 8 of the first 11 games. While the entire team deserves the credit for an all-round show that puts them on the brink of playoff qualification, a huge credit goes to Virat Kohli, who has donned different hats this season, depending upon the situation of the game. Despite being the Orange Cap holder at present this season, Kohli hasn’t been immune to criticism. Some former cricketers like Sanjay Manjrekar, Virender Sehwag, and Sunil Gavaskar have pointed out the need for Kohli to show more acceleration while scoring runs in the middle. The criticism hasn’t only been showered on Kohli this year, but also over the last couple of seasons. However, Kohli’s former teammate, AB de Villiers, decided to give it back to critics, highlighting how adaptive the RCB star is in producing the brand of cricket that his …

“Virat Kohli Needs To Be The Captain Of…”: AB De Villiers’ Honest Advice To RCB

“Virat Kohli Needs To Be The Captain Of…”: AB De Villiers’ Honest Advice To RCB

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South Africa batting great AB de Villiers believes Virat Kohli should focus on playing smart cricket and continue controlling the game this season as RCB possess immense firepower with Phil Salt expected to ease the pressure on the Indian superstar. Despite being one of RCB’s most consistent performers, Kohli’s strike rate was a topic of discussion past two seasons. However, with the Bengaluru franchise acquiring the English duo of Salt and Liam Livingstone, along with Australian Tim David and West Indian Romario Shepherd — all fearless strikers of the ball — de Villiers feels Kohli can play with more freedom. “Virat seems to be enjoying his cricket. I don’t think he’s going to have to up his strike rate batting with Phil Salt,” de Villiers said on JioStar Press Room on Tuesday. “Salt is one of the most attacking players we’ve ever seen. I think he’s going to take a lot of pressure off Virat. Virat needs to continue what he’s been doing for so many years…control the game, play smart cricket. He’s …

Virender Sehwag Picks Virat Kohli Over ‘Lion’ Sachin Tendulkar In Best ODI Batters List. Explains Why

Virender Sehwag Picks Virat Kohli Over ‘Lion’ Sachin Tendulkar In Best ODI Batters List. Explains Why

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Though a debate over better players across eras remains a difficult one to justify, former India opening batter Virender Sehwag picked Virat Kohli as the No. 1 batter in ODI cricket history, ahead of his long-term teammate Sachin Tendulkar. Despite the fact that many reckon Tendulkar as the ‘God’ of cricket, a player who defined an era of cricket with his batting brilliance, Sehwag could only give him the No. 2 spot on his list. But, the former attacking opening batter did explain why he picked Virat over Sachin. In a chat on Cricbuzz, Sehwag picked his top 5 batters in ODI cricket history. The list began with the legendary West Indies batter Chris Gayle, who was given the No. 5 spot. Gayle has a whopping 10480 runs to his name in the format in 304 appearances. “Chris Gayle was a great batsman and opener. I remember India came to the West Indies in 2002-03, and Chris Gayle hit three centuries in a six-match series. He was the first player I saw at …

“AB de Villiers Played For Wrong Franchise”: Sanjay Manjrekar Roasts RCB

“AB de Villiers Played For Wrong Franchise”: Sanjay Manjrekar Roasts RCB

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File photo of AB de Villiers One of the greatest cricketers of his time, AB de Villiers is a name that terrorized opponent teams’ bowlers, no matter the format. Even after his international retirement, De Villiers played some extravagant knocks in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). However, the former South Africa star retired from professional cricket without winning a single IPL title. In today’s times, De Villiers’ style of play is often compared with India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav. During one such discussion, former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar made a bold comment on De Villiers’ career. Manjrekar, who is known to be quite blunt with his opinions and criticism, said that Suryakumar has already eclipsed De Villiers when it comes to the comparison of their match-winning impacts in the shortest format. Manjrekar, making a rather bold assessment, stressed that De Villiers played for the wrong IPL franchise. “I’ll say yes, because of the match-winning impact. AB was incredible. But AB’s greatness was that he averaged 50 in Tests. …

Not Rohit Sharma: AB De Villiers Namedrops Five Indian Players He Wants To See Play In SA20

Not Rohit Sharma: AB De Villiers Namedrops Five Indian Players He Wants To See Play In SA20

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South African great Ab de Villiers hopes the BCCI will allow Indian players to take part in the SA20 in the near future as it will only raise the profile of the young franchise-based league. Dinesh Karthik is set to become the first Indian cricketer to compete in the SA20 but that was only made possible when he announced his international and domestic retirement last year. The BCCI doesn’t allow active players to take part in overseas leagues and as of now, the only way to play events outside India is by calling time on your career at home. Having said that, there is a growing trend of cricketers taking retirement in India to try their luck in the burgeoning overseas competitions. “I would love to see more Indian players involved. We know Dinesh Karthik will be here this year which is fantastic and it’s great for the tournament. “And hopefully the BCCI will allow us to get more Indian players in the future to come and join the fun of the SA20,” …

“Best To Get Rid Of…”: AB de Villiers’s Honest Message To Virat Kohli Amid Form Issues

“Best To Get Rid Of…”: AB de Villiers’s Honest Message To Virat Kohli Amid Form Issues

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Virat Kohli’s former Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammate AB de Villiers has advised the struggling Indian batter to “reset” his mind and avoid on-field battles as he concluded a horror tour of Australia. Kohli and Rohit Sharma were woefully out of form during the just-concluded Test series against Australia. The 1-3 series defeat resulted in the team losing out on qualifying for the World Test Championship final. Kohli could manage only 190 runs in his nine innings in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, repeatedly offering edges to the slip cordon or keeper. “I think the thing is to reset your mind every time. Virat loves the fight, but when you’re not in the form of your life, it’s best to get rid of those things. As a batter, it is to reset every single and understand every ball is an event and just forget about the bowler,” de Villiers said in a video he posted on ‘X’. “I think sometimes Virat forgets about that because of his fighting spirit and the nature of the man wanting …

“When There’s Smoke…”: AB De Villiers On Reports Of Rift In Indian Team Dressing Room

“When There’s Smoke…”: AB De Villiers On Reports Of Rift In Indian Team Dressing Room

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Following India’s 1-3 series loss to Australia, former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has reacted to the rumours of a rift within the dressing room. India lost the series-deciding Sydney Test by 6 wickets on Sunday, with the defeat ending their slim hopes of making it to the World Test Championship (WTC) final. However, in the lead up to the match at the Sydney Cricket Ground, one term that went viral on social media was ‘Mr. Fix It’. A report in the Indian Express mentioned that a certain player in the team proposed his name for ‘interim captaincy’. However, de Villiers suggested that these things aren’t new in the sport, especially when a team is playing away from home. “I know there have been some rumours. I’m not surprised. When there’s smoke, there’s fire. I’ve been part of dressing rooms where it’s been hostile. Especially when you’re away from home, you’re missing your family, and you’re not playing the best cricket of your career,” De Villiers said in a video posted on …

Sanju Samson Reveals Why Rajasthan Royals Went For 13-Year-Old Vaibhav Suryavanshi

Sanju Samson Reveals Why Rajasthan Royals Went For 13-Year-Old Vaibhav Suryavanshi

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File image of Vaibhav Suryavanshi.© X (Twitter) One of the standout moments of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction was the bidding war for 13-year-old batting wonderkid Vaibhav Suryavanshi. As it turned out, Suryavanshi became the youngest-ever player to be bought in an IPL auction, being sold to Rajasthan Royals (RR) for Rs 1.1 crore. RR captain Sanju Samson has now revealed the thought process that led to the franchise bidding for the 13-year-old, and stated that his purchase goes right in line with the philosophy and principles at Rajasthan Royals. “I have seen his highlights. All of the people in the Rajasthan decision-making group saw him bat at the U19 Test match vs Australia in Chennai, where he scored a hundred of 60-70 balls. The shots that he played there, it felt like, that’s something special,” Samson told South African cricket great AB de Villiers in an interview on the latter’s YouTube channel. “We felt like we have to have those kind of individuals in the side and see where …