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Legendary AB de Villiers, Neetu David, and Alastair Cook was included into the prestigious ICC Hall of Fame on Wednesday, October 16. Meanwhile, batting maestro Virat Kohli congratulated his former RCB teammate De Villiers in an emotional open letter. Kohli and de Villiers formed one of the most formidable partnerships in T20 cricket before de Villiers’ retirement in 2021. The South African cricketer spent 11 years with the Bengaluru franchise, during which he developed a strong bond with Kohli off the field.
AB De Villiers inducted in ICC's Hall of Fame
AB de Villiers was widely regarded as one of the cleanest hitters of the ball. The former South African player revolutionized the game with his exceptional 360-degree batting skills. His impact on cricket was immense, inspiring many players to follow in his footsteps.
Averaging over 50 in Test and ODI cricket, AB de Villiers was a prolific run-scorer for the South Africa National Cricket Team. He broke several records, including the record for the fastest-ever men's ODI century. He also became the second-highest run-scorer for South Africa during his career.
Virat Kohli shares heartfelt letter for AB de Villiers
As AB de Villiers was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, his close friend Virat Kohli shared a heartfelt message. Kohli praised de Villiers as the most talented cricketer he had ever played with, stating that this achievement is a testament to his massive impact on the game.
"To AB, It is an honour to be selected to write these words as you enter the ICC Hall of Fame," Virat Kohli wrote in his open letter, as quoted by the ICC.
"You are thoroughly deserving of your place - after all, the Hall of Fame is a representation of your impact on the game, and yours has been truly unique. People have always spoken about your ability, and rightly so. You are the most talented cricketer I have played with, the absolute number one.
"But what truly stood out to me was your belief in that ability. You had a crazy amount of belief that you could execute whatever you wanted to on a cricket field, and you normally did. That is why you ended up being so special," Kohli's letter added.
Kohli and de Villiers showcased their destructive batting during the memorable IPL 2016 season. Kohli set a new record for the most runs scored in a single IPL season, amassing 973 runs in just 16 innings. De Villiers also made a significant impact, scoring 687 runs at a strike rate of 168.79.
In his letter, Virat Kohli shared an incident where AB de Villiers, despite lacking self-belief, stepped up for the team and attacked Sunil Narine, a bowler he had struggled against. Kohli added:
"We were chasing 184 (for RCB in 2016) against an attack including Sunil Narine, Morne Morkel, Andre Russell and Shakib Al Hasan. You came in to join me with around 70 on the board and Narine was bowling.
"You played and missed a couple and told me during a timeout that you weren’t picking him too well. I felt I was, so I remember telling you to give me the strike and I would try and hit boundaries off him.
"In the first over, Narine bowled after the timeout; I was ready at the non-striker’s end, thinking you were giving me a single. So, imagine my surprise when you back away to the leg side, Sunil follows you and you slog sweep him over square leg for a 94-metre six!
"If I have a lack of belief against someone, I’d just try and get off strike – but you hit him for a 94-metre six without picking the ball. That sums you up. You could just do things our minds were not ready to process, and then everyone thinks ‘How the hell did that happen?’"
