AB de Villiers has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, claiming a lack of enthusiasm in the game because of his age. The 37-year-old declared his decision in a post on his verified Twitter account on Friday (November 19), which included a photo of himself. He expressed gratitude for his achievements in cricket. The dynamic right-hander last played for South Africa in 2018, although he continued to play T20 cricket till the IPL 2021. Let's take a look at AB de Villiers' remarkable cricket career.

The International Cricket Career of AB de Villiers in a Nutshell

AB de Villiers made his international debut against England in a home series in 2004. Before retiring on November 19, 2021, he played 114 Tests, 228 One-Day Internationals, and 78 Twenty-20 Internationals.

AB de Villiers is often considered one of the best batters of all time because of his fearless mentality. He was built in such a way that his body could be shifted in any direction and he could play any shot. This is why he is referred to as Mr. 360. ABD and the Alien are some of his other nicknames. 

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De Villiers has a number of ODI records, including the fastest 50 (16 balls), 100 (31 balls), and 150 (50 balls) (64 balls). He is also the only batter in ODI history to average above 50 and has a strike rate over 100. The right-handed aggressive batter also owns the South African records for quickest Test century and fastest T20I fifty.

In 2010, 2014, and 2015, AB de Villiers won the ICC One-Day International Player of the Year award three times. In addition, he was selected as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Decade.  

AB de Villiers was a popular cricketer in franchise-based T20 cricket in addition to his international career. In the IPL, he played for Royal Challengers Bangalore and a lot of other well-known teams from across the world.

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Let's take a look at his cricketing career on the international stage

Test	Runs	HS	Ave	SR	100s
114	8,765	278*	50.66	54.51	22
ODI	Runs	HS	Ave	SR	100s
228	9,577	176	53.50	101.09	25
T20I	Runs	HS	Ave	SR	50s
78	1,672	79*	26.12	135.16	10

  Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/ab-de-villiers-44936

Notable AB de Villiers records   

The spectacular power hitter had a remarkable cricket career, especially in white-ball cricket. Here are some of AB de Villiers' most noteworthy records.

1)      Fastest fifty - ODI

2)      Fastest century – ODI

3)      Fastest 150 – ODI

4)      Fastest Century (South Africa) – Test

5)      Fastest fifty (South Africa) – T20I

6)      Among the nine batters to hit three hundred in a row – ODI format 

7)      De Villiers has the joint-most number of dismissals by a wicketkeeper (11) - Test match

8)      AB de Villiers and Joe Root both scored half-centuries in 12 consecutive Tests.

9)      Along with Chris Gayle and Rohit Sharma, De Villiers has the second-highest number of sixes (16) in an ODI innings.    

10)  Best Averages (63.52) - ODI World Cup (at least 20 matches)

De Villiers is also South Africa's second-highest run-scorer in ODIs and across all formats (19,864), after only Jack Kallis. AB de Villiers' remarkable record proves that he is a one-of-a-kind talent and one of the best cricketers of all time.

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Bottom Line 

AB de Villiers' overall cricket career proves that he is without a doubt one of the best batters of all time in all formats. Unquestionably, the coveted South African has aided world cricket development. His approach, particularly in white-ball cricket, has given the game a fresh outlook. He was a big admirer of his generation of cricketers and was one of the most fearsome batters of the previous two decades. AB de Villiers is a true inspiration for the next generation of cricketers.