Rohit Sharma pays tribute to AB de Villiers: Not many had impact on the game like he did

South Africa legend AB De Villiers announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Friday (November 19). De Villiers, who had retired from international cricket in 2018, was plying his trade in franchise cricket around the globe but decided to bring curtains on what has been a magnificent career by stepping away from all forms of the game.

Wishes have been pouring in from all corners for De Villiers, who was one of the most popular overseas cricketers in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He had started his IPL career with Delhi Capitals but joined Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2011 where his stature grew immensely.

His stint with RCB ended on Friday after an incredible eleven years with the franchise where he produced some breath-taking performances for his team and won the hearts of millions of fans across India. India’s newly-appointed T20I skipper Rohit Sharma also paid tribute to De Villiers on his retirement and said no one had the kind of impact on the game like he did.

“Not many people have had the impact on the game like AB did. It was indeed a pleasure to watch him play from the other side. Happy retirement AB, best wishes to and your family @ABdeVilliers17,” Rohit wrote in a tweet.

Also Read: I’ve become half Indian now and I am proud of that: AB de Villiers’ shares special message for RCB fans

De Villiers was one of the most prolific run-getters in the IPL where he amassed 5162 runs in 184 matches at a stunning strike rate of over 151 and an average of over 41. He is the sixth-highest run-getter of all time in the history of IPL and earned the tag of ‘Mr.360’ for his ability to play shots across all parts of the ground.

De Villiers amassed 313 runs in 15 matches and helped RCB qualify for the playoff in his last season in the IPL this year. However, he would regret finishing his IPL career without winning a single title.