In January 2015, AB de Villiers hit the fastest hundred in one-day international history, reaching three figures off just 31 balls against the West Indies. The same innings included the fastest ODI 50 ever, off 16 balls, along with 16 sixes. It was the clearest example of why bowlers around the world feared him.
Known as 'Mr 360' for his ability to score to every part of the ground, de Villiers reshaped how batting was viewed in the limited-overs game. His career is one many South African cricket fans who follow Virgin Bet sports betting will recall with a smile, a 14-year run filled with records and unorthodox strokes.
In this article, we look back at the career of one of the most inventive batters the game has produced.
A multi-format master
De Villiers made his South Africa debut in 2004 and went on to play 114 Tests, 228 ODIs and 78 T20Is before retiring from international cricket in 2018. He finished with more than 20,000 international runs, averaging above 50 in both Tests and ODIs. In the longer format, he made 22 centuries, including a best of 278 not out against Pakistan in 2010. His one-day record was just as strong, with 9,577 runs at an average above 53 and 25 hundreds.
The 360-degree game
What set de Villiers apart was his willingness to play shots no coaching manual would teach. He could ramp a fast bowler over the wicketkeeper one ball and drive through the covers the next. The reverse sweep and the scoop became regular parts of his game, and he used them against the quickest bowlers in the world. Few batters have made the difficult look so straightforward.
Records that still stand
His 31-ball hundred remains the fastest in ODI history more than a decade on, and he also holds the record for the fastest ODI 150, reached in 64 balls. He was named ICC men's ODI Player of the Year three times, in 2010, 2014 and 2015, a joint record. For long spells, he sat at the top of both the Test and ODI batting rankings, a rare feat for any player. In that 2015 innings against the West Indies, he also became the first man to hit 16 sixes in a single one-day international.
More than a batter
De Villiers was a fine fielder and could keep wicket when South Africa needed him to, and he captained the side across all three formats during the 2010s. He led the team as their leading run-scorer at the 2015 World Cup, though they fell at the semi-final stage, one of several near misses for his generation. After stepping away from international cricket, he continued in franchise leagues with Royal Challengers Bangalore until 2021, where his partnership with Virat Kohli became one of the most feared in the Indian Premier League.
A World Cup title eluded him, but de Villiers leaves behind a body of work few batters can match. The way he expanded what was possible at the crease changed how the next generation learned to bat.
