AB De Villiers in action© X (Twitter)
Legendary South Africa cricket team batter AB De Villiers turned back the clock as he slammed an unbeaten century off just 28 deliveries during the Taste of SuperSport Park exhibition match in Centurion. It was an explosive knock from De Villiers who smashed 15 sixes to cruise to a quickfire century. The legendary cricketer, who was playing for Titans Legends, retired immediately after completing his century. Thanks to his innings, Titans Legends posted a mammoth total of 269 in 20 overs. In reply, Bull Legends were 125 for the loss of 8 wickets in 14 overs before rain interrupted play. The Bulls Legends side was made up of former rugby players who used to Super Rugby side Bulls.
Earlier, AB de Villiers hailed star India batter Virat Kohli for “stepping out of his comfort zone” during the last season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), saying that winning the title with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) would be a “perfect finishing touch” to his legendary career.
RCB will kickstart their campaign against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on March 22 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata and they would be looking to win their first IPL title, which would mean a lot for Virat, who has been a part of the franchise since 2008, the year when league started.
Speaking exclusively on JioHotstar, AB recalled the criticism Virat received for his strike rate in the initial stages of the competition, calling it “ridiculous”.
“The scrutiny over Virat’s strike rate was absolutely ridiculous. He had done exactly what his team needed from him. It is all about the situation. When he has someone at the other end he trusts, you see him experiment and play with more freedom. But when that’s not the case, he stays true to his natural game–anchoring the innings when needed,” said AB on JioHotstar.
In the first six matches of the season, Virat scored 319 runs at an average of 79.75, with a century and two fifties, but his strike rate of around 141 generated immense criticism from fans and experts who felt that his more cautious approach, especially against spin, held RCB back.
(With IANS inputs)
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