AB de Villiers Responds to Virat Kohli's Heartfelt Tribute After ICC Hall of Fame Induction

South African cricket legend AB de Villiers, recently inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame alongside Alastair Cook and Neetu David, expressed his gratitude and pride in a heartfelt video response to a touching letter from fellow cricketer Virat Kohli. Kohli's letter praised de Villiers’ unique impact on the game, calling him "the most talented cricketer I have played with, the absolute number one."

De Villiers highlighted the significance of Kohli's words, emphasizing the importance of teamwork in his career. "It's really special for me, and obviously Virat as well. Thank you very much for the kind words. What I'm really proud about is Virat speaking about me always putting the team first," he noted.

Having retired from international cricket in 2018, de Villiers has an impressive batting average exceeding 50 in both Test and ODI formats, accumulating over 20,000 international runs—second only to Jacques Kallis among South African cricketers.

Concluding his message, de Villiers expressed his desire to be remembered not just for his statistics but for his contributions to the team. "I want to be remembered as a guy who contributed to the team and always put the team first. I'm very, very proud of that and I will not shy away from that. That's certainly the way I played my cricket, and it was always a priority to me," he shared.

De Villiers' response not only reflects his humility and dedication but also underscores the strong bond he shares with Kohli and the cricketing community.