On Monday night in Indore, Royal Challengers Bangalore made 148 for 4 in 20 overs. Six batsmen came out to bat. Five of them struggled, making a combined 55 runs off 74 balls. And one man made 86 off 47 balls.
That man was AB de Villiers. The one man who could have been forgiven for being rusty and struggling to get going after coming back from an injury. The one man who blew everyone away with an innings that defied logic, reason and the laws of physics.
89 runs.
46 balls.3 fours.9 sixes.2 out of the ground.@ABdeVilliers17 has arrived…#IPL #KXIPvRCB pic.twitter.com/b6dfct4Ao8— ScoopWhoop News (@scoopwhoopnews) April 10, 2017
Kevin Pietersen watching from the broadcaster’s studio said it best: What can one say to do justice to that innings?
But the good people of Twitter did a decent job of it, starting with Allan Donald, one of the greatest bowlers to ever play the game.
Fielders to Maxwell: Kaun si position pe khada rahu?
Maxwell: Doesn’t matter, AB De Villiers is batting!#KXIPvRCB— The Viral Fever (@TheViralFever) April 10, 2017
Yes, T20 is a game of sixes. But that six, off a wide ball from Mohit Sharma???
AB de Villiers is a FREAK!!#KXIPvRCB— Nikhil Naz (@NikhilNaz) April 10, 2017
And his South African teammate Morne Morkel perhaps described it the best.
No words, indeed.
Featured image: PTI