Did AB de Villiers intentionally skip Virat Kohli from his top 5 picks? here's what he said

Cricket fans were in for a surprise when AB de Villiers, one of the modern greats, left Virat Kohli out of his list of the top five cricketers he has played with or against. The former South African star revealed his picks on the Beard Before Wicket podcast, sparking a lively debate among fans.

De Villiers’ Top 5 Picks

During the podcast, de Villiers named Jacques Kallis, Andrew Flintoff, Shane Warne, Sachin Tendulkar, and Mohammad Asif as his top choices. He praised Tendulkar’s aura, saying, “The way he was received when he walked out to bat, everything would come to a standstill. Beautiful to watch him bat.”

When reminded by Adil Rashid about Virat Kohli, de Villiers quickly added, “Virat, sorry. That’s why such questions are so tough to answer.”

High Praise for Legends

The former Proteas skipper hailed Kallis as the best all-rounder “maybe the best cricketer of all time” and called Asif the most skillful seamer he ever faced. He also admired Warne’s personality and Flintoff’s big-match temperament, recalling Flintoff’s unforgettable yorker to Kallis at Edgbaston.

Recent Heroics in Legends Cricket

De Villiers has also been in sublime form in the World Championship of Legends 2025, guiding South Africa to the title. In the final, he hammered 120 off 60 balls against Pakistan as the Proteas chased down 196 in just 16.5 overs.

With 429 runs from six innings, including three centuries, de Villiers was named Player of the Tournament, reminding the cricketing world why he remains one of the game’s true entertainers.