5 Things that define AB de Villiers' International Career

AB de Villiers surprised the entire cricketing fraternity when he announced his immediate retirements from all formats of International Cricket on 23rd May 2018. Inarguably the best batsman of the past decade, his sudden retirement brought an End of an Era in Cricket where not only was he the most dominant batsman, but South African Cricket Team was on the top of the world.

14 years, over 400 international matches, almost 20,000 runs, 47 centuries and millions of memorable moments - This is the best I can summarize an International Career that ended a little too soon. Personally, it is really hard for me to digest the fact that ABD won't be playing for the Proteas again, given that I belong to a generation that grew up watching him play.

While his career saw various ups and downs, he always managed to keep a fan following that is second to none. A gentleman of the game, he always believed in entertaining people with his work on the field. As a tribute to the Superman of Cricket, here are five instances that define Abraham Benjamin de Villiers International career.

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#5 As quick as a Bullet

Best Fielder since Jonty Rhodes.

When we think of the best fielders of all time, the name Jonty Rhodes instantaneously pops up in our mind. However, just saying that ABD was his apparent heir in this title would be an understatement.

While there have been several other players who have made a name with their astonishing catches, ABD was the first person after Rhodes who mastered the art of ground fielding.

From his dives on extra cover and point to save a definite boundary, to his exceptional glove work behind the stumps, AB de Villiers was the prototype of a perfect fielder in modern day cricket. Moreover, we are all aware of his abilities to make even the most improbable catches look easy. ABD was called Superman for his profess with a bat, but I think it was phenomenal field work that contributed in earning him that title.

#4 Phenomenal against White Ball

The day ABD became the Superman of cricket.

Who can forget the day when AB de Villiers shattered the record of the fastest hundred in the history of ODI cricket? What about the day in 2015 when he single-handedly crushed the West Indian bowling line-up in Sydney? These two innings are just a specimen of the player the ABD was with the while ball. It was as if he could effortlessly smash even the toughest of the balls around the park.

It's not that often that a player, even after playing over 220 ODI matches and scoring over 9000 runs, has an average of over 50 or strike rate of over 100. ABD, however, was a special player as he now stands as the only player with both these stats to his name. Our father's generation had Viv Richards, the generation before us had Sachin Tendulkar, and ABD carried that aura intact by arguably being the best ODI player of this generation.

#3 Resilient with Red Ball

The inning that redefined ABD's image as a test player.

Since he is most fondly remembered for his exploits with the white ball in the second half of his illustrious career, most people tend to forget the fact that ABD was a better test player when he started his career back in mid-2000s. In fact, he holds the illustrious record of being the last player till date to have held the top spot in the batting rankings in both Test and ODI format, which he did back in 2014.

Memorable innings like his double hundreds against Indian and Pakistan and his match-winning 106 at WACA showcased his class as a test player. However, it was his resilient inning against India in that infamous 2015 Delhi Test, where he scored just 43 runs in 297 balls while trying to save the match, that redefined his image as a test player. While most players are famous for their same style of play, ABD always managed to somehow adjust his playing style according to the circumstances.

#4 Mr. 360

The man who made unconventional shots famous.

The advent of T20 cricket brought more and more innovations in the shots hit by the batsmen. However, if there is one player who made them famous and regular in every format of the game, it was AB de Villiers. He could shock not only the fans, but also the opposition team members and the officials, with his ability to send even the quickest of balls into the most unexpected corner of the ground.

From his near-perfect reverse sweeps to his jabs over long on and long off, AB de Villiers was an expert in hitting the ball in all the directions. But it was his unorthodox hits over the keeper's head as well as his paddle sweeps to dispatch balls way outside the line that earned him the title of 'Mr. 360 degree'.

#5 Champion without a Cup

The saddest point of an illustrious career.

Every champion player has a crowing glory moment in his/her career, and World Cup victory is the pinnacle of every cricketer's career in the world. Viv Richards realized his dream twice in 1975 and 1983, while Sachin Tendulkar fulfilled his lifelong dream 22 years after his debut in 2011. Like Tendulkar and Richards, AB de Villiers achieved every milestone in his illustrious career, but a World Cup win always evaded him throughout.

The 2015 World Cup semifinal loss can, in fact, be termed as the saddest point on his career, where South Africa, under his leadership, lost despite being heavy favourites to finally lift the trophy. Even during the 2013 and 2017 Champions Trophies, AB de Villiers came within an inch of lifting an ICC trophy. A True Champion without a Cup, the void left by ABD in the South African squad will be really hard to fill in the near future.