ISLAMABAD (Sports Desk); AB de Villiers delivered a spectacular performance in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025, scoring an unbeaten 120 off just 60 balls. The right-handed batter’s explosive knock featured 12 boundaries and seven towering sixes, marking his third century of the tournament.
Opening alongside Hashim Amla, de Villiers helped lay a strong foundation with a 72-run stand. Amla contributed 18 off 14 deliveries before falling to Saeed Ajmal on the final ball of the powerplay.
JP Duminy, after a slow start, found his rhythm and supported de Villiers with an unbeaten 50 off 28 balls, which included four fours and two sixes. Their 125-run partnership ensured South Africa Champions comfortably chased down the target.
Pakistan Champions, who opted to bat first, posted a competitive 195/5 in their 20 overs. However, their innings had an unsteady start as Kamran Akmal was dismissed early for just 2 runs.
Captain Mohammad Hafeez (17 off 10) and Sharjeel Khan then added 40 runs for the second wicket. Sharjeel went on to top-score for Pakistan with a blazing 76 off 44 balls, hitting nine fours and four sixes. He formed a 72-run stand with Shoaib Malik before being dismissed by Hardus Viljoen.
Malik, struggling for timing, scored 20 off 25 before falling to Parnell. With Pakistan at 132/4 in the 15th over, Umar Amin and Asif Ali rescued the innings with a 61-run partnership. Asif made 28 off 15, while Amin remained unbeaten on 36 off 19 balls.
For South Africa, Viljoen and Parnell claimed two wickets apiece, while Olivier chipped in with one. Ajmal was the only wicket-taker for Pakistan as de Villiers’ brilliance sealed the match for the South African side.
