The former South African captain, AB de Villiers, was one of the most entertaining batsmen. He led South Africa to several notable wins single-handedly. ABD retired from international cricket in 2018. De Villiers ended his ODI career with 9577 runs in 226 matches and his T20 career with 9424 runs in 340 matches. During his career, ABD delivered numerous stellar performances and made exceptional records. In this article, we will have a look at five records of De Villiers that are almost impossible to break.
Most number of innings before first duck in Test
Everyone knows that the former South African captain was a sensational batter in limited-over cricket. However, he was also a brilliant batsman in test format as well. ABD holds an amazing record of playing most innings in tests before getting out for a duck for the first time. De Villiers played 78 innings before being out on a duck against Bangladesh. During his test career, De Villiers amassed a total of 8765 runs, which included 22 centuries.
Only batsman to average over 50+ and a strike rate of 100
The “Superman of Cricket” holds a rare record of being the only batsman with a strike rate of 100+ and an average of 60+. In 228 ODI matches he played, De Villiers recorded 9577 runs at a strike rate of 101.09 and an average of 53.50.
Highest strike rate in an innings by a centurion in ODI
Mr. 360 holds the record for the highest strike rate in an inning. ABD achieved this feat during a match against West Indies in 2015, when he scored 149 runs in 44 balls. He also holds the record for the best strike rate for a 150+ knock in one day international. During his score of 162 against West Indies in the 2015 World Cup, the former South African captain finished with a strike rate of 245.45.
Fastest 50, 100, and 150
ABD has smashed the fastest 50, 100 and 150 in ODI history. The amazing part is, he achieved all these extraordinary feats in the same year and two of them in the same match. De Villiers reached his 50 in just 16 balls in a match against West Indies in 2015. In the same match, he went on to score a century in just 31 balls and broke the record of New Zealand’s all-rounder Corey Anderson, who smashed a 36-ball century in 2014. ABD ended up scoring 149 in mere 44 balls, which included nine fours and 16 sixes. Later that year, De Villiers smashed the fastest 150 in 64 balls against West Indies. This inning was more iconic as he scored it during the 2015 World Cup. His final score in the match was 162 off 66 balls.