Cricket Legend AB de Villiers Names His All-Time Top 3 Batters and Bowlers

In a recent video shared during the ongoing World Championship of Legends (WCL 2025) tournament, former South African captain AB de Villiers revealed his picks for the all-time top 3 batters and bowlers across formats.

For batters, de Villiers named Indian superstar Virat Kohli, Australian legend Ricky Ponting, and South African great Jacques Kallis as his top 3 choices. Kohli, who is the third-highest run-scorer in international cricket, has amassed 27,599 runs in 617 innings, including a record 51 centuries in ODIs. Ponting, just one spot below Kohli, has scored 27,483 runs in 668 innings, while Kallis accumulated 25,534 runs in 617 innings.

As for bowlers, de Villiers selected former Pakistani pacer Mohammad Asif, his South African teammate Dale Steyn, and Australian pace icon Glenn McGrath. Asif, known for his exceptional swing bowling, took 165 wickets in 72 international matches. Steyn is the second-highest wicket-taker for South Africa with 697 scalps in 263 games, while McGrath finished his illustrious career with 948 wickets in 375 matches, the most by any Australian bowler.

Meanwhile, de Villiers is currently captaining the South Africa Champions team in the ongoing WCL 2025 tournament. He recently turned back the clock with a stunning unbeaten knock of 116 off just 51 balls against the England Champions.