AB de Villiers’ controversial takes listed: Five weird claims made by the former South African star originally appeared on Cricket News.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- AB de Villiers has repeatedly courted controversy with unusual cricket opinions across YouTube shows and public interviews.
- His claims range from ranking Kohli above Tendulkar overseas to slamming India’s stance during the Asia Cup trophy row.
- The former Proteas star also criticised his old Delhi Daredevils dressing room and modern T20 batting dynamics.
From Kohli vs Sachin to trophy rows: Five bizarre & controversial claims made by AB de Villiers over the years
AB de Villiers built his playing career on unpredictability, and it seems that trait hasn’t left him now that he’s swapped bat and pads for a microphone.
The former South African great, once celebrated globally for his 360-degree strokeplay, has become something of a lightning rod in his post-retirement life as a cricket pundit, as he has been regularly sparking debate with opinions that leave fans baffled.
Whether he’s hosting his own YouTube show or sitting on a broadcast panel, De Villiers rarely holds back. Over the past couple of years, he’s challenged long-standing statistical records, called out former teammates, and waded into politically sensitive territory, all while maintaining the same fearless confidence that once defined his batting.
Here’s a rundown of five of his most talked-about and divisive comments.
1. Ranking Virat Kohli above Sachin Tendulkar in overseas Tests
Few claims from de Villiers have landed as controversially as his August 2026 assertion that Virat Kohli was actually a stronger overseas Test batter than Sachin Tendulkar.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, he credited Tendulkar with pioneering the idea that subcontinental batters could thrive in bouncy, seaming conditions abroad, but insisted Kohli “was even better” and had “raised the bar” beyond what Tendulkar achieved.
“I think of someone like Sachin Tendulkar way back, who started that trend for India. Yet, he wasn’t as strong as someone like Virat Kohli, who was even better. But Sachin was the first guy to show that as a subcontinent batter, you can do well in bouncy and seaming conditions. Virat took that forward and raised the bar,” said de Villiers on his YouTube channel.
The numbers tell a very different story, though. Tendulkar finished his career with an away Test average of 54.74, comfortably ahead of Kohli’s overseas average of around 41.98.
2. Calling out toxic dressing room culture at Delhi Daredevils
De Villiers opened up about his early IPL days with Delhi Daredevils and described the experience as “bittersweet” and blamed internal politics for the franchise’s failure to win silverware during his time there between 2008 and 2010.
“There were a lot of poisonous characters in that team,” de Villiers revealed in an interview with Cricket.com. “I’d hate to give you names – burning people, you know – but the Delhi Daredevils were in shambles.”
He also recounted the confusion around his own contract status at the franchise.
“I thought I was going to be the man,” he recalled. “Then, all of a sudden, I wasn’t playing again… I was told I would be retained, and then the next minute, I saw myself in the auction. I didn’t even know what had happened. So many weird things went on.”
3. AB de Villiers compared critics of Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma to cockroaches
De Villiers has always been protective of close friends like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, but his loyalty reached dizzying heights in late 2025.
After a rough start to their Australia tour, where Rohit managed scores of 8 and 73 while Kohli recorded two ducks, the duo bounced back emphatically in the final match, sharing a 168-run partnership that carried India to a nine-wicket win, with Rohit scoring 121 and Kohli contributing a fluent 74.
Reacting to the criticism the pair had faced before that turnaround, De Villiers didn’t mince words and said: “I don’t know what it is about people. I don’t even know if I can call them people – cockroaches climbing out of their holes as soon as players near the back end of their careers. Why pour negative energy into players who have given their lives for their country and for this beautiful game? This is the perfect time to celebrate them.”
BCCI/Sportzpics
4. AB de Villiers claimed opening the batting in T20 cricket is too easy
In March 2026, de Villiers turned his attention to what he sees as a structural flaw in modern T20 cricket. He argued that opening batters, particularly on flat Indian surfaces, enjoy an unfair advantage thanks to powerplay fielding restrictions, which allow them to dominate run charts and claim Orange Cap awards far more easily than middle-order specialists.
Speaking on the Mbangwa Media YouTube channel, he made clear how much comparisons to top-order run-scorers frustrated him.
“So I hate it when they compare my runs to other players in the IPL, because then I go like, but I haven’t faced as many balls as the openers. It irritates the living daylights out of me,” he said.
“This guy scored 8,000 runs, he’s the best ever. I’m like, no, I’m better than him he’s faced more balls. Don’t do it. And then on top of that, they’re all openers and they bat with these restrictions only two guys out, and it’s like, it’s the easiest thing in the world, especially in India. It’s ridiculous, man. You can’t play cricket like that.”
[BCCI/Sportzpics]
AB de Villiers questioned India’s Asia Cup trophy stance
De Villiers stepped into far more sensitive territory in October 2025, following India’s Asia Cup final win over Pakistan. The Indian team had opted against receiving their trophy from PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
It was a decision that drew criticism from De Villiers, who called the episode a “disappointing distraction” and argued that politics had no place in sport.
He said: “Team India sort of weren’t happy with who was handing out the trophy. I don’t feel that belongs in sport. Politics should stay aside. Sport is one thing, and it should be celebrated for what it is.
“Quite sad to see that, but hopefully they will sort things out in the future. It does put the sport, the players, the sportsmen, the cricketers in a very tough position, and that’s what I hate to see. It was quite awkward there at the end.”
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