AB de Villiers Biography: Mr. 360’s Career, Records, Stats, and Achievements

Abraham Benjamin de Villiers is a former South African international cricketer. He is popularly called “Mr. 360” for his ability to play shots all around 360° on the ground and also “Superman of cricket” for his stunning fielding efforts.

ABD played for the South African nation across all formats for over 14 years (2004–2018) and also captained the South African team in all three formats at various points. He holds the record for the fastest ODI 50 (16 balls), 100 (31 balls), and 150 (64 balls).

AB de Villiers took retirement from his international cricket in May 2018 and continued to dominate in T20 leagues like the IPL, especially with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) until 2021. Currently, ABD appears as a commentator and cricket expert, offering insights on matches and players.

Early life

Abraham Benjamin de Villiers was born on 17th February 1984 in Pretoria, Transvaal Province, South Africa. He grew up in a sports-loving Afrikaans family with strong Christian values. Father, Dr Abraham B. de Villiers, was a rugby union player and encouraged AB’s sports career. AB de Villiers attended Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) School in Pretoria, where he excelled in both academics and sports. ABD was in multiple sports such as tennis, rugby, golf, hockey, swimming, badminton, and athletics.

ABD started playing cricket seriously in school days, where he was initially a wicketkeeper and middle-order batsman. Thereafter he played for Northern Titans at the youth level, showcasing raw talent and temperament. He was part of South Africa’s U-19 squad for the 2004 ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh.

ABD impressed selectors with his mature technique, fielding skills, and ability to adapt to different roles. He scored heavily in school and age-group cricket gained the attention of national selectors. His success in junior cricket led to a first-class debut for Northerns in 2003 at just 19 years old. Just months later, he was equipped into the national Test team due to his potential and all-round ability.

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Domestic Career

AB de Villiers made his first-class debut in South African domestic cricket for Northerns (now Titans) in 2003, showcasing solid technique and skills. He excelled in all formats, such as first-class, List A, and T20, with his consistent performances and was known for his aggressive stroke play, athletic fielding, and outstanding wicketkeeping. His ability to bat anywhere in the order and adapt made him a valuable domestic asset.

ABD scored heavily in domestic competitions like the SuperSport Series, which impressed the national selectors, and he was recognized as a future star early on by South African coaches and ex-players.

Next year, in 2004, he earned a spot in the Test Squad because of his remarkable achievement in the domestic format.

International Carrer

Test

AB de Villiers made his initial debut in international cricket in a Test match on December 17, 2004, against England at Port Elizabeth, which was the opportunity to showcase his talent in the international format. Until his retirement, he had played 114 test matches and scored 8765 runs with an average of 50.66. His Best in Test format was 278* against Pakistan in 2010, which was the 2nd highest by a South African in Tests. He played his last Test match on March 30, 2018, against Australia at Johannesburg.

ODI

On February 2, 2005, AB de Villiers made his ODI debut against England at Bloemfontein. He captained South Africa in ODIs from 2011 to 2017. In the ODI format, he holds the record for the fastest ODI 50 (16 balls), 100 (31 balls), and 150 (64 balls). His best in Test format is 176 against Bangladesh in 2017. ABD played 228 ODI matches and scored 9577 runs with a batting average of 53.50 and a strike rate of 101.1. His last ODI match was against India on February 16, 2018, at Centurion.

T20I

AB de Villiers played his T20I debut on February 24, 2006, against Australia at Johannesburg. He played 78 matches in the T20I format and scored 1672 runs with a batting average of 26.12 and a strike rate of 135.17. His highest score in T20I was 79* against Scotland. ABD was one of the innovators of 360-degree batting in T20 cricket. He played his last T20I match on October 29, 2017, against Bangladesh. He played key roles in T20 World Cups, although South Africa never lifted the trophy during his time.

ABD announced his retirement from international cricket on May 23, 2018, stating he was “tired”. It was a surprising element for fans and experts as ABD was not too old and he was in good form as well.

IPL Carrer

AB de Villiers made his IPL debut in the IPL Season 1 (2008) for Delhi Daredevils until 2010, then he moved to the most popular franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), in 2011, where they trusted ABD as a savior. Until his retirement (2021), he played for the RCB franchise.

ABD overall played 184 IPL matches and scored 5162 runs with a batting average of 39.70 and a strike rate of 151.68. “Mr 360” nickname grew stronger due to his exploits in the IPL. He is one of the first foreign players to cross 5,000 IPL runs, and his highest score in the IPL was 133* against the Mumbai Indians in 2015.

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Awards

• ICC ODI Player of the Year (2010,2014 and 2015).
• South African Cricketer of the Year (2014, 2015, 2017).
• South African ODI Player of the Year (Multiple years).

Batting Career Summary

Source: Cricbuzz.com