AB de Villiers Smashes Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly's Record of Sixes

Hashim Amla called him the "best batsman in the world" and there was little doubt that AB de Villiers more than lived up to his reputation during the first India versus South Africa ODI in Kanpur on Sunday. South Africa scored a thrilling five-run win with Proteas skipper De Villiers sparkling with a 73-ball century.

De Villiers emerged Man of the Match for his unbeaten 104-run blitz during which the mercurial batsman shattered a record of sixes held by two former Indian stars, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly.

De Villiers struck six sixes during his Kanpur innings. In the calendar year 2015, the South African master-blaster has scored 30 sixes in three centuries, a world record. Tendulkar had held this record in 1998 by scoring 29 sixes in nine centuries. (SA Fined for Slow Over Rate in Kanpur ODI)

De Villiers smashed a second record, this time one held by Ganguly. De Villiers became the first captain to score 30 sixes in a calendar year while scoring centuries. The record was held by Ganguly, who had scored 27 sixes while scoring five centuries in 2000.

The very fact that De Villiers has taken lesser number of centuries (three) than Tendulkar (nine) and Ganguly (five) to accumulate his 30 sixes speaks volumes of the man's ability to bludgeon bowling attacks.

De Villiers' stunning century provided the late impetus in the Kanpur ODI as South Africa posted 303 for five, the highest team total at the Green Park Stadium, after deciding to bat first.

(With inputs from HR Gopala Krishna)