AB de Villiers Announces Cricket's 3 Best Batters, Sachin Tendulkar OUT

AB de Villiers and Sachin Tendulkar [Source: X and AFP]

Very few debates in modern cricket generate as much discussion as the comparison between the best cricketers in the world. Adding to the exciting hot topic, RCB legend and Proteas veteran AB De Villiers have named three of the greatest batters he has ever seen on the field.

While Virat Kohli was one of the names in AB’s list, the rest of the two were the ones who have dominated eras with their technicality and leadership skills. 

Surprisingly, AB de Villiers’ list didn’t comprise any of his South African mates or even the God of Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar as he thought of those three players as the greatest he witnessed.

AB de Villiers Picks Three Legendary Batters Of Cricket

Speaking at Sports Launchpad, AB named his former Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammate Virat Kohli, Australia veteran Ricky Ponting and Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara as the best batters in the game opf cricket.

The three legends have dominated different eras, broken countless records and established themselves among the finest batters as AB rightly pointed out. 

While Ponting built his legacy as Australia's most successful captain, Sangakkara became the backbone of Sri Lanka's batting for over a decade. Kohli, meanwhile, has and is rewriting record books across formats with remarkable consistency. 

As the top three was named by AB, choosing the best among them is never straightforward, although their careers provide enough evidence to make a compelling comparison.

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Virat Kohli’s Legacy In The Game Surpasses Everyone

Virat Kohli has built one of the greatest batting careers in cricket history through his unmatched consistency across formats. He is widely regarded as the greatest ODI batter of the modern era, holding the record for the most centuries in the format.

Kohli also dominated run chases throughout his career as he repeatedly guided India to victories under pressure. At his peak, he averaged over 50 in all three international formats, a feat achieved by very few players in the game.

Although his captaincy achievements can be questioned in comparison to Ricky Ponting, the Indian star is still continuing to awe spectators with his marvellous skills of batting in ODI cricket.

Kumar Sangakkara, The Most Technical Of Them All

Kumar Sangakkara combined flawless technicality with class strokeplay throughout an outstanding international career. The Sri Lankan great finished with more than 27,000 international runs and became one of the most technically accomplished batters of his era.

Sangakkara averaged close to 58 in Test cricket, highlighting his remarkable improvement as a specialist batter. He also became the first player to score four consecutive centuries in a Men's ODI World Cup, further underlining his class in the game.

As a captain, Sangakkara has a good win record, having led his team 82 times across formats and also won 45 matches. Although major ICC trophies eluded him, he was a captain who led a glorious Lankan era.

Ricky Ponting, The Greatest Of All Time?

Ricky Ponting remains one of the greatest match-winners the sport has seen. The Australian legend scored more than 26,000 international runs and finished his career with 71 international centuries.

Ponting's greatest advantage lies in his leadership. He captained Australia to World Cup triumphs in 2003 and 2007 while leading one of the most dominant teams in cricket history. 

His performances in major ICC tournaments and Test cricket remain among the finest produced by any batter.

Critics often point out that Ricky Ponting benefited from playing in an Australian side filled with all-time greats, although his individual numbers leave little room for debate about his quality.

While Ponting brings in the trophies, it cannot be denied that Sangakkara and Virat Kohli both bring in the batting masterclass that truly deserved to be on AB de Villiers’ best batters list.

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