New Delhi: Team India star Virat Kohli penned a heartfelt letter for South Africa legend AB de Villiers after he was in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Hall of Fame on Wednesday, October 16. Kohli called the De Villiers the ‘most talented’ cricketer he has ever played with while hailing the ex-South Africa batter’s impact on the game.
De Villiers was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame alongside former England captain Alastair Cook and former Indian women’s cricket team captain Neetu David. Kohli and De Villiers were teammates at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) where they became good friends both on and off the field.
Kohli and De Villiers played together for RCB for 11 seasons in the IPL and were involved in some of the most memorable partnerships for the franchise. The duo together bailed the team out of trouble on several occasions and helped them to some sensational victories with their batting heroics. Kohli recalled one of his partnerships with De Villiers in the IPL while lauding him in his letter.
“It is an honour to be selected to write these words as you enter the ICC Hall of Fame. You are thoroughly deserving of your place – after all, the Hall of Fame is a representation of your impact on the game, and yours has been truly unique,” Kohli wrote in his letter for De Villiers.
“People have always spoken about your ability, and rightly so. You are the most talented cricketer I have played with, the absolute number one,” he added.
Further lauding De Villiers for the kind of impact he had on the viewers of the game, Kohli said the South African was someone who could impact the psyche of those watching him bat. De Villiers was known for his tremendous strokeplay and his ability to play shots across all parts of the ground which also earned him the tag ‘Mr. 360’.
Check out Virat Kohli’s complete letter for AB de Villiers:
AB de Villiers’ stellar career
De Villiers is arguably one of the best batters to have played for South Africa. He made his debut for the Proteas in a Test match against England in 2004 and went on to become a vital cog in the team’s batting line-up across formats. De Villiers enjoyed a successful career for the Proteas as he played 114 Tests, 228 ODIs and 78 T20Is for his country.
De Villiers amassed 9,577 runs in 228 ODIs at a brilliant average of 53.50, including 25 hundreds and 53 fifties. In Tests, he notched up 8765 runs in 114 matches at an average over 50, including 22 centuries and 46 fifties. He scored 1672 runs in 78 matches in T29Is at a strike rate of 135.16. With 19864 runs across all formats, De Villiers is the 2nd highest run-getter of all time for South Africa in international cricket, behind only the legendary Jacques Kallis.
Team India star Virat Kohli penned a heartfelt letter for his former RCB teammate and good friend AB de Villiers after the South Africa great was inducted in the ICC Hall of Fame on Wednesday. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
