AB de Villiers’ 5 most interesting ODI records you didn’t know
Few players have had as much impact on the redefined approach to stroke-making as AB de Villiers in his glistening ODI career for South Africa spanning 228 matches.
Often dubbed ‘Mr 360’ due to his ability to hit all parts of the ground, de Villiers brought an innovation, flair and brutishness that had rarely been seen in ODI cricket before.
The wicketkeeper-batter was a natural athlete and made his explosive scoring look controlled and elegant – often turning matches on their head with unimaginable cricket shots.
He beautified ODI cricket and made it a spectacle for the fans with his unique approach to the 50-over format.
His ODI career ended abruptly, but despite this, he still managed to force his way into the top 10 of numerous ODI record books.
Let’s take a closer look at where he left his mark…
1. 2nd in most 100s in consecutive ODI innings
De Villiers holds the second-highest record for the most consecutive ODI centuries, three in a row, achieved by only a select few.
His consistency in scoring hundreds highlighted the reward that came with his risky batting style, featuring a rare combination of game awareness and aggression.
He could dismantle even the best bowling attacks without looking streaky.
2. 2nd most sixes in an ODI innings
In 2015 against the West Indies, the South African smashed 16 sixes in a colossal innings of 149 runs off just 44 balls.
At the time, it was the fastest ODI century of all time and remains one of the most explosive innings in ODI cricket history as he bullied the bowlers around the ground.
His record-breaking blitz stunned bowlers and thrilled cricket fans around the world.
Also read: Who are the 3 cricketers with at least 1 ODI century for 2 different countries?
3. 2nd fastest to 9,000 ODI runs
It took De Villiers just 205 innings to reach the 9000 ODI runs milestone, second behind only Virat Kohli of India.
The achievement highlighted not only his knack for scoring runs bust his consistency over a decade of high-pressure cricket where he was instrumental for the Proteas.
He was never a finisher or an anchor – he did everything at once and got their with flair, precision and an unmatched plethora of stroke play.
4. 7th highest ODI batting average in history
Among some of the greats of ODI cricket, de Villiers average of 53.50 ranks seventh of all time – the highest of any South African cricketer.
Of the top 10 players with the highest ODI batting averages, he is behind only India‘s MS Dhoni for the most sixes struck, with 204 maximums and over 1000 boundaries to his name.
It was his ability to score highly while being innovative and taking on significantly calculated risks that made him idolised by so many.
5. 7th most 100s in ODI history
Another admirable seventh on the list, de Villiers blasted 25 ODI centuries for South Africa in a style and manner that made waves in the 50-over format of the game.
Wherever he batted in the order, he just always seemed to back up his solid wicketkeeping with even better strokemaking, wowing the crowd and scoring hundreds along the way.
He frequently went big with a style of play that wowed all.
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