In Stats: Defining The Complete Cricketer That is AB de Villiers

Be it with his bat, or with his keeping gloves - AB de Villiers is simply the most complete cricketer. Here’s why

(Photo: Reuters)

There’s no doubting that AB de Villiers is a special talent – almost superman-like, capable of doing anything. He has tried his hand at several sports – hockey, rugby, golf, badminton, tennis, swimming, not to forget cricket in the list – and met with a high degree of success in each one of them.

Thanks to his achievements on the cricket field over the last few years, AB de Villiers is now the top-ranked batsmen in Test cricket and One-Day cricket. On the occasion of de Villiers’ 100th Test match, here’s a peek at some of the lesser-known records he currently holds.

The cricket world might be in awe over his batting and his fielding skills, but one must not forget AB de Villiers is also stupendous with the wicket-keeping gloves on. Test cricket has been played since 1877, and ever since the very first Test match was played, only two wicket-keepers have managed to be part of 11 dismissals in a match: England’s Jack Russell, and South Africa’s AB de Villiers.

To illustrate further how de Villiers is a complete athlete, here’s a look at how he has fared as wicket-keeper and fielder: in 23 Test matches he has played as designated wicket-keeper for South Africa, he has been part of 87 dismissals, in 76 other Tests where he has played as a fielder he has been part of 98 dismissals. If he happens to take two more catches in the Bangalore Test, he will join a select club of South African fielders with a tally of 100 field catches or more.

The entertainer and the stroke-maker that he is, it is not a surprise that among South African cricketers, AB de Villiers holds the record for the fastest to score a hundred. In the Centurion Test match against India in 2010, de Villiers smashed Ishant Sharma, Jaydev Unadkat, Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh to all corners of the Centurion Park to reach the 100-run mark off only 75 balls. To put it in context, the next fastest hundred by a South African batsman was Hashim Amla’s 87-ball century against Australia.

For the record, among South Africans, AB de Villiers is also the quickest to get to 150 (162 balls). Among the other interesting records de Villiers holds – where South African cricket is concerned: most consecutive Tests played (98), most dismissals in the nervous nineties (8), most sixes hit by a batsman in a Test innings (7) and most runs scored by a batsman in one particular over in Test cricket (25).

There are very few batsmen in the annals of Test cricket who have managed to deposit the cricket ball outside the boundary four times in a row – AB de Villiers is one of the few to have done that.

Few of the other interesting Test records against de Villiers’ name currently: most innings before being dismissed for a duck (78) and most consecutive Test matches with at least one 50-plus score (12).