AB de Villiers Gets Hailed for Smashing a Sensational Ton in WCL – “Take Back Retirement”

Before the 2025 WCL, AB de Villiers' last competitive match was a 2021 IPL encounter between RCB and KKR in Sharjah, just prior to his retirement.

AB de Villiers Gets Hailed for Smashing a Sensational Ton in WCL – “Take Back Retirement”

AB de Villiers scored a mesmerizing hundred in a WCL game, against Australia. (via One Cricket)

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Ex-South African batting icon AB de Villiers is turning back the clock in the ongoing World Championship of Legends, after smashing a 39-ball hundred against Australia Champions. This brilliant knock from the 41-year-old has prompted fans to fervently urge him to reconsider his retirement.

Recognized as one of the greatest cricketers of his generation, AB de Villiers enjoyed a very successful 15-year long cricket career. Known as ‘Mr. 360’, the right-handed batter once dominated pitches with his destructive hitting and unique shot selection. He accumulated over 8,000 runs in Test cricket, more than 9,500 runs in ODIs, and an additional 1,600+ runs in the shortest format of the game.

Having made his debut in 2004, AB de Villiers stands as one of the very few batters to maintain a batting average of over fifty in both Tests and ODIs. After playing over 400 matches for the Proteas national team across all formats, he announced his international retirement in May 2018. Subsequently, in November 2021, de Villiers retired from all forms of cricket, including franchise T20 competitions, at the age of 37.

While the former RCB icon has remained away from playing since his 2021 retirement, AB de Villiers has now returned for another stint, playing for South Africa Champions at the ongoing WCL. Continuing his legacy as one of cricket’s biggest batting entertainers, AB de Villiers has rewound time with a sensational run, hitting two centuries in the WCL so far, solidifying his place as the tournament’s standout performer.

Just days after scoring a 41-ball century against England Champions, de Villiers once again delivered a blistering hundred, this time against Australia Legends. The South African star reached his century in just 39 balls, eventually finishing with 123 runs, plundering 15 boundaries and eight sixes, at a brilliant strike rate of 267.39. His incredible 185-run opening stand with JJ Smuts, who himself scored 85 off 53 balls, propelled SA Champions to a formidable total of 241 runs.

He crossed the 100-run mark by hitting a boundary off the first over of the 13th over by D’Arcy Short. De Villiers then went on to score an additional 18 runs off the very same over, before finally being dismissed in the next over by Peter Siddle, bringing his reminiscent knock to an end. The 41-year-old now boasts an impressive 305 runs in the WCL so far, and has also secured three POTM awards this season.

Moreover, AB de Villiers’ century, coupled with a brilliant bowling display by spinners Aaron Phangiso and Imran Tahir, helped SA Champions defeat Australia by 95 runs. The Aussies were bowled out for just 146 runs in the 17th over.

AB de Villiers’ Retro Hundred Mesmerizes Fans, Reminding Them of His Old Playing Days

South African legend AB de Villiers scored a scintillating century in a WCL match, leaving cricket fans mesmerized. Fans flocked to social media to share their reactions to his innings, with many exclaiming that he still has it in him to dominate world cricket.

AB de Villiers fans return
Fans urged AB de Villiers to make a return to playing, after he scored a blistering WCL hundred. (via X)

Some fans urged him to reconsider his retirement decision and make a comeback to playing cricket, while a few others asserted that he could still dismantle bowling attacks despite having stepped away years ago. One fan even labeled AB de Villiers as an ‘alien’, while another suggested he is ‘ageing like gold.’ A few fans pointed to the ‘RCB blood’ in de Villiers, giving him the ability to play timeless shots.

Nonetheless, with AB de Villiers-led South Africa Champions having secured their spot in the semi-finals of the competition, it remains to be seen which other teams will advance. Pakistan Champions and Australia Champions have already qualified, leaving a fourth spot still up for grabs.