Even in retirement, AB de Villiers continues to dazzle with his unmatched brilliance. The 41-year-old former South African great rolled back the years at the 2025 World Championship of Legends (WCL), where he emerged as the tournament’s highest run-scorer, finishing with 429 runs at a staggering average of 143.
Nicknamed “Mr. 360” for his unorthodox strokeplay and ability to hit around the wicket, de Villiers showed he hasn’t lost a step.
His sensational run peaked in the final held in Birmingham, where he hammered an unbeaten 120 off just 60 deliveries to lead the South Africa Champions to a dominant nine-wicket win over Pakistan Champions.
Chasing 196, he unleashed a barrage of boundaries—10 fours and 8 sixes—and stitched an unbeaten 125-run stand with JP Duminy.
His breathtaking knock in the final was the cherry on top of a record-breaking campaign. De Villiers had earlier smashed 116 off 51 balls against England and followed it with a blistering 123 from 46 deliveries against Australia. In just five matches, he notched up three centuries—reminding the cricketing world of his golden touch.
Dale Steyn makes bold statement
AB de Villiers’ extraordinary performance led former teammate and South African pace legend Dale Steyn to make a bold statement: “He’s still better than half the players currently playing in the IPL.”
Unpopular/Popular opinion.
Ab is still better than half the internationals at IPL. Maybe even more.
— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) August 3, 2025
Considering the IPL is widely regarded as the most competitive T20 league globally, Steyn’s comment underscores de Villiers’ continued dominance even after stepping away from top-flight cricket.
De Villiers’ IPL legacy is equally impressive. With 5162 runs from 170 matches at an average of 39.7 and a strike rate exceeding 150, his record stands above many current international stars. His WCL showing only further confirms that class truly is permanent.
