[Watch] WCL 2025: AB de Villiers names his all-time top three batters

Currently leading the South Africa Champions in the World Championship of Legends (WCL 2025), legendary South African batsman AB de Villiers named his top three all-time batters in all formats.

The former was questioned about his all-time favourite batters. De Villiers finally decided on his last three after giving West Indies legend Brian Lara some thought. Notably, neither Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, the second-most run scorer in history, nor Indian great Sachin Tendulkar, the best in history, are included in de Villiers’ top three.

“That is a really challenging question. On the sidelines of WCL 2025, he told Star Sports, “Of all time, all formats, Jacques Kallis, Brian Lara, no, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting, and Virat Kohli.”

.@ABdeVilliers17 reveals the batters and bowlers who stood out to him, the names that left a lasting impression. 👏#WCL2025 👉 18th July to 2nd August, Every Day Live on Star Sports Network pic.twitter.com/2jUrgNDXvO

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 26, 2025

Additionally, AB de Villiers lists his top three bowlers.

Each of the three cricket players has left a lasting impression on the sport. Kohli is the third-highest run scorer across all formats with 27,599 international runs. With 51 tonnes, the stat batter also holds the record for most hundreds in the 50-over format. Kohli will only play for India in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) as he has retired from T20Is and Test matches.

With 27,483 runs, Ponting, another legend on de AB de Villiers’ list, is only one spot below Kohli in the all-time run lists. In the 2000s, the mainstay of the formidable Australian team was the previous captain. In the meantime, one of the best all-rounders in cricket history is Jacques Kallis, who has amassed 25,534 runs.

During the same conversation, AB de Villiers also listed his three favourite bowlers of all time: Glenn McGrath of Australia, former South African colleague Dale Steyn, and Pakistani bowler Mohammad Asif. Despite having a brief international career, Asif is known for his seam and swing abilities. McGrath finished with 948 international wickets, more than any other Australian fast bowler, while Steyn took 697.

In contrast, the South Africans crushed an undefeated 116 off just 51 balls in the most recent WCL 2025 match 8 versus the England Champions. His valiant efforts helped the South Africa Champions, who were chasing 152, win three straight games and take a commanding lead in the tournament standings. AB de Villiers made sure his team easily chased down the total with the help of Hashim Amla, who struck a 29*.