AB de Villiers — Mr. 360° and South Africa's Greatest Batsman
AB de Villiers holds the record for the fastest ODI century (31 balls) and is rated the most complete batsman of the T20 generation. Learn about Mr 360°'s career, his unorthodox stroke-play, and RCB legacy.
Abraham Benjamin de Villiers (born 1984, Warmbaths/Bela-Bela, South Africa) is considered by many cricket analysts to be the most complete batsman in cricket history. Known as 'Mr 360°' for his ability to play scoring shots in any direction — including behind square on both sides, behind the wicket, and over the keeper's head — de Villiers combined conventional technique with an extraordinary range of unorthodox strokes. In 114 Tests, he scored 8,765 runs at 50.66; in 228 ODIs, he scored 9,577 runs at 53.50 with an ODI strike rate of 101.2 — elite figures across both formats.
Fastest ODI century — 31 balls
De Villiers holds the world record for the fastest century in ODI cricket: 31 balls against West Indies in Johannesburg in January 2015. He scored 149 off 44 balls in total, with 16 sixes and 9 fours. The innings was described by commentators as potentially the greatest ODI batting performance ever. Even more remarkably, de Villiers came in with South Africa in trouble and turned the match completely around with an assault that seemed to rewrite what was physically possible in batting.
RCB and IPL — the Kohli-ABD partnership
De Villiers played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL for most of his career, forming an extraordinary batting partnership with Virat Kohli. The Kohli-de Villiers partnership at RCB is the most celebrated batting partnership in IPL history — two of the best batters in the world at No. 3 and No. 4 for the same franchise. Despite their individual brilliance, RCB never won the IPL title during de Villiers' tenure. He retired from all cricket in November 2021, surprising many who felt he still had several years left.
A multi-sport athlete
De Villiers was a natural athlete who represented South Africa at junior level in rugby, football, and swimming in addition to cricket. He is one of the few cricketers to have played Tests for South Africa before the age of 20. His physical gifts — extraordinary hand-eye coordination, exceptional reflexes, and an ability to improvise that no coaching programme could have produced — made him a once-in-a-generation cricketer.
Frequently asked questions
What is AB de Villiers' fastest ODI century record?
AB de Villiers scored the fastest century in ODI cricket history off just 31 balls against West Indies in Johannesburg in January 2015. He went on to score 149 off 44 balls. The previous record was held by Corey Anderson (36 balls). De Villiers also holds the record for fastest ODI fifty (16 balls).
Why is AB de Villiers called Mr 360?
AB de Villiers is called 'Mr 360°' because he can hit scoring shots in literally every direction around the wicket — including behind the keeper, behind square on the leg side, and over cover. Unlike conventional batters who have scoring zones and gaps, de Villiers has no obvious safe area for bowlers to bowl. Every area of the ground is attackable.
When did AB de Villiers retire?
AB de Villiers retired from international cricket in May 2018 and from all cricket in November 2021. His international retirement was sudden and controversial — he had been in outstanding form, and the South African team was rebuilding. He later revealed discussions with Cricket South Africa about returning for the 2019 World Cup that ultimately didn't proceed.