'AB de Villiers still better than half internationals in IPL': Dale Steyn after 41-year-old's century in WCL final

Dale Steyn takes sly dig at IPL post AB de Villiers' century in WCL.

Former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn has lavished praise on AB de Villiers following his stunning knock in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 final against Pakistan Champions. Steyn remarked that even now, de Villiers remains better than several international cricketers currently playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

De Villiers, despite dealing with a hamstring issue, delivered a stunning knock of 120 off just 60 balls for the South Africa Champions against Pakistan Champions. His innings featured 12 fours and seven sixes, with the milestone century coming in just 47 deliveries.

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Sharing his views on X (formerly Twitter), Steyn posted: “Unpopular/Popular opinion. Ab is still better than half the internationals at IPL. Maybe even more."

Unpopular/Popular opinion.

Ab is still better than half the internationals at IPL. Maybe even more.

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— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) August 3, 2025

Supported by JP Duminy’s unbeaten 50, South Africa successfully chased down a target of 196 with more than three overs to spare, to win the tournament.

This was de Villiers' third century in the competition, a feat that earned him both the Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament awards.

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Despite retiring four years ago, de Villiers still ranks as the eighth-highest run-scorer in IPL history. Among active players, only Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, and KL Rahul are ahead of him.

During his IPL career, de Villiers amassed 5162 runs in 170 matches at an average of 39.7 and a blistering strike rate of 151.68. His tally includes three centuries. Interestingly, he sits above active players such as Ajinkya Rahane and fellow South African Faf du Plessis in the all-time IPL run charts.

Earlier in the WCL, de Villiers had also hammered a 46-ball 123 against Australia, forming a formidable 187-run opening stand with JJ Smuts. That followed a blistering unbeaten 116 off 51 balls against England, in which he teamed up with Hashim Amla to chase down a 153-run target.

De Villiers’ rich vein of form comes on the back of a memorable two-month stretch in which his IPL franchise, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, lifted their first-ever IPL title, while the South African national team clinched the World Test Championship.