In case you missed it, AB de Villiers is back. And not just back in the “hey-he’s-playing-again” way, the South African legend made a thunderous statement with the bat that reminded everyone why he’s still one of the most thrilling players to ever grace a cricket field.
On a warm Thursday evening in Leicester, the 41-year-old maestro rolled back the years in spectacular fashion, smashing an unbeaten 116 off just 51 balls to lead South Africa Champions to a ruthless 10-wicket win over England Champions in the World Championship of Legends (WCL).
Toss, bowl, and control
AB De Villiers, captaining the South African side, won the toss and made a smart call to bowl first. His bowlers didn’t disappoint.
England Champions looked decent in patches, but they never really got going. Phil Mustard was the top scorer with a run-a-ball 39, while Samit Patel added a lively 24 off 16.
Eoin Morgan tried to inject some momentum with a quick 20 off 14, but the rest of the lineup crumbled under tight bowling.
Imran Tahir, ever the magician, and Wayne Parnell both bagged two wickets apiece, while Chris Morris and Oliver chipped in with one each. England finished on a below-par 152-6.
AB and Amla – a masterclass in dominance
What followed was vintage cricketing theatre. AB De Villiers and Hashim Amla walked out to chase 153 and never looked back.
Amla, calm and composed as always, played the anchor role to perfection with a steady 29 off 25 balls. But this night belonged to AB.
Every now and then, sport gifts us a performance that makes time feel irrelevant. De Villiers’ knock was one of those moments. It wasn’t just the numbers, 116 not out from 51 balls, laced with 15 fours and seven sixes, it was how he did it.
The clean strikes, the innovation, the audacity… it was classic Mr. 360. The kind of innings that had fans grinning, commentators purring, and bowlers shaking their heads in disbelief.
A comeback worth the wait
It’s worth noting that de Villiers’ return to action during WCL 2025 came after almost four years. His last appearance was in the IPL 2021 season, playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the UAE. Since then, he’d stayed away from the game, until the WCL 2025 came calling. At 41, you’d expect rust. What we got instead was ruthlessness.
De Villiers and Amla chased down the target in just 12.3 overs, sealing a 10-wicket victory and sending a strong message to the rest of the tournament: the old guard still has plenty left in the tank.
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