Published: Jan 19, 2015, 03:06 AM (IST)
Edited: Jan 19, 2015, 09:03 AM (IST)
New Delhi: Jan 18, 2015
Former India captain Anil Kumble was among first international cricketers to congratulate South African captain AB de Villiers on his world record feat of fastest One-Day International (ODI) century off only 31 balls against West Indies in Johannesburg.
“Congratulations @ABdeVilliers17 for a world record fastest odi hundred. Awesome batting! Unbelievable!!!,” Kumble took to social networking site twitter to congratulate De Villiers, who plays for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League.
De Villiers scored an astonishing 149 off only 44 balls with nine fours and 16 sixes. He took five balls fewer than Anderson’s hundred for New Zealand against the West Indies in 2013-14. The South African captain’s innings included 16 sixes, equalling the world record set by Rohit Sharma when he hit 209 for India against Australia in Bangalore in 2013-14.
He also hit nine fours in an innings which had a near-capacity crowd at the Wanderers bullring roaring in approval. West Indian players rushed to congratulate him and Gayle, who played a match-winning Twenty20 innings at the Wanderers a week earlier, bowed in salute as De Villiers walked past him.
South Africa went past their own previous highest total – the 438 for nine they scored in a record run chase against Australia on the same ground in 2005-06 – and Sri Lanka’s world record of 443 for nine against the Netherlands in 2006 seemed set to fall. But De Villiers hit the fourth ball of the final over from Andre Russell to deep cover and Amla could not score off the final two deliveries.
Congratulations @ABdeVilliers17 for a world record fastest odi hundred. Awesome batting! Unbelievable!!!
— Anil Kumble (@anilkumble1074) January 18, 2015
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