NEW DELHI: AB de Villiers, one of the best South African hitters to have ever been born, is turning 40 on Saturday. He is a fan favourite all over the world, and his performances have revolutionized the sport.

AB de Villiers: three words that may elicit strong emotions from cricket fans all around the world and instil dread in even the finest bowlers.

Whether it's batting a whole day without worrying about scoring a boundary to preserve a Test match or reverse-sweeping a 90 mph delivery for a six in white-ball cricket, de Villiers has done it all smoothly and very frequently on the cricket pitch.