Legendary South African fast bowler Dale Steyn made an audacious claim while comparing AB de Villiers to current international cricketers in the Indian Premier League (IPL), following the latter's heroics for South Africa Champions in the recently concluded World Championship of Legends.
De Villiers, now a retired international batter, turned back the clock on Saturday at Edgbaston in Birmingham, scoring a 47-ball century to help South Africa beat Pakistan Champions by nine wickets in the final of the second WCL season. It was his third century in just four innings in the tournament.
Following his Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament-winning performance, Steyn took to social media to assert that de Villiers is better than half the international cricketers currently playing in the IPL — or possibly more. However, fans were quick to correct him, insisting that de Villiers is better than 90 per cent of today's IPL batters.
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“Unpopular/Popular opinion. Ab is still better than half the internationals at IPL. Maybe even more,” Steyn wrote on X.
{{/usCountry}}“Unpopular/Popular opinion. Ab is still better than half the internationals at IPL. Maybe even more,” Steyn wrote on X.
{{/usCountry}}Chasing 196 at Edgbaston, De Villiers was at his vintage best, smashing an unbeaten 120 off just 60 balls. His knock, studded with 10 boundaries and eight sixes, featured a crucial 72-run opening stand with Hashim Amla, followed by an unbroken 125-run partnership with JP Duminy, who scored a fluent 51*.
Earlier, Pakistan Champions—who reached the final after India refused to play them in the WCL semifinals due to ongoing geopolitical tensions—opted to bat first after winning the toss.
Opener Sharjeel Khan gave Pakistan a flying start with a sublime 76 off 44 balls, putting on a 76-run stand with Shoaib Malik. However, the momentum dipped in the middle overs as Hardus Viljoen and Wayne Parnell picked up two wickets each.
De Villiers finished WCL 2025 with 429 runs, including three centuries.