AB de Villiers may be 41, but the South African legend continues to defy age and expectations at the ongoing World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025.
In a heart-stopping semifinal against Australia at Edgbaston, de Villiers proved once again why he's one of the greatest the game has ever seen, this time with a match-winning moment in the field.
With Australia needing 3 runs off the final ball, Dan Christian managed only a scrambled single after squeezing Wayne Parnell’s pinpoint yorker toward long-on.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!But he picked the wrong man to test. De Villiers, patrolling the boundary, charged in, scooped up the ball at full tilt, and rifled in a rocket throw that crashed into the stumps at the non-striker’s end.
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Nathan Coulter-Nile was nowhere close, and just like that, South Africa sealed a thrilling 1-run victory and booked their spot in the WCL final.
Though his bat was quiet in the semifinal, de Villiers has been in explosive form this tournament.
With two centuries and over 300 runs, he currently leads the run-scoring charts by a wide margin. His fielding has also turned heads with acrobatic catches, sharp run-outs, and reflexes that seem untouched by retirement or time.
South Africa had earlier posted 186/8, riding on a blazing 76 off 35 from Morne van Wyk alongside JJ Smuts.
Australia fought back through Chris Lynn and Shaun Marsh, but Wayne Parnell’s clutch spell, including two wickets in the powerplay and a nerveless final over, set the stage for de Villiers’ last-ball heroics.
Now captaining the South Africa Champions, AB will lead his side into the final against an unbeaten Pakistan Legends side that reached the final after a walkover in their semifinal.
With one game to go, the stage is set for one more de Villiers masterclass.
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