AB de Villiers could end up being the most popular cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar

AB de Villiers (L) is a joy to watch for any cricket fan

There always comes a personality every once or twice in a generation who homes the hearts of people. Wherever they go, people fall in love with their charm. When they leave, it takes a while for their admirers to let go of the nostalgia and move on, but with the hope of seeing them again.

Their presence alone brings a smile on people’s faces, making them forget – for that moment at least – all their sorrows and pain.

Such was always the case when Sachin Tendulkar stepped onto the field. The emphatic roars of “SACHIIIN! SACHIIIN!” created a pandemonium in the stands, shaking the very foundations of the stadium. His influence was so much that people attributed the status of Godhood to him.

No one man can claim to affect the mood of as many people as the Little Master did. But, perhaps, a South African could just do that now.

When AB de Villiers comes to the crease, he exudes the vibe of a warrior padded up to wreak havoc and give fans the feeling that they did the best thing with their lives in opting to watch the game. He doesn’t come to bat – no, that is too mainstream as anyone can bat – he comes with the sole intention of displaying things that no-one else has.

A 16-ball 50, 31-ball hundred and a 64-ball 150 are just three performances that could be used as a reference point that is apropos to the claim made in the previous paragraph. These are the types of innings that make people wonder whether he is even human or not.

The feeling of a chill running down the spine of cricket fanatics can be felt whenever the South African comes to bat. It doesn’t matter which country you are from or which team you support or whether or not you even like cricket, watching de Villiers is always a delight – something that glues even the passive watchers in front of the TV.

Some years ago, Sachin Tendulkar had this ability – to make people fall in love with the game. His influence waxed to such gargantuan proportions that cricket and Sachin became synonyms. Many people confess that Sachin was the reason they started watching cricket, I am one of those people too.

Everything fell apart with Tendulkar’s retirement, though, as I no longer found the same love for the game like I once did. After all these years, I realized that I loved the “Run Machine” more than the sport itself.

These days, I hardly even know which matches are going on and which teams are in action. Cricket is no longer the Sun of my solar system, nothing circumambulates it. However, there is one common denominator for most of us lost lovers.

When a quick look at the Facebook homepage reveals the South African dynamite’s arrival at the crease, a sudden urge of shooting down towards the living room and switching on the TV to watch his carnage live arises within the mind’s chambers.

What happens next is almost always constant. I fall prey to the urge and find myself watching cricket with the same enthusiasm that Sachin Tendulkar once provided. With every hit, de Villiers further assures that I made the right choice in watching the game and forgetting everything else.

And the collective gasps of sadness and disbelief whenever he gets out echoes from the stadium to every home that has its TV playing the game. Such is the power of the man.

They say that sports was invented to distract people from the problems of the world. Many often think of this in the wrong light. I, however, believe that it was the right thing as in a world full of misery such as this, people like Sachin Tendulkar and AB de Villiers shine their rays of hopes – light that, for some reason, beams relief.

And AB de Villiers might just become the brighter ray by the time he hangs up his boot – a thought which inflicts fear into the hearts of people like it did with Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement.