Suresh Raina, a former Indian cricketer, praised AB de Villiers for his sensational performance in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) final,
Where South Africa defeated Pakistan on Saturday, August 2.
Raina praised de Villiers’ innings and expressed admiration for the Proteas’ victory. Raina further claimed that if India had played the semi-finals, they would have demolished Pakistan.
However, much of the tournament’s focus was not on the final, but on India’s decision to withdraw from their scheduled matches against Pakistan. Raina, along with other Indian luminaries Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, and Yusuf Pathan, had already withdrawn from their inaugural match against Pakistan.
The removal occurred in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror assault, which aroused widespread indignation. The Indian players opted not to play any matches against Pakistan, citing national feeling as their priority.
As fate would have it, India and Pakistan were set to face each other again in the semi-final. But true to their earlier decision, the Indian players chose to exit the tournament entirely, resulting in a walkover for Pakistan, who advanced to the final.
What a knock by @ABdeVilliers17 in the final, absolutely smashed it
Had we played, we would’ve crushed them too, but we chose our nation above everything else.
Full respect to @EaseMyTrip and @nishantpitti for standing firm and not supporting any match involving them. That’s…
— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) August 2, 2025
Speaking about the match, de Villiers’ masterclass dismantled Pakistan, with the Proteas stalwart hitting his his third century of the tournament. Chasing 196, South Africa cruised to victory in just 16.5 overs, losing only one wicket. The flamboyant right-hander smashed an unbeaten 120 off just 60 balls, showcasing his trademark strokeplay. He was well-supported by JP Duminy, who contributed a fluent 50 off 28 balls, as the duo ensured a dominant win for South Africa and sealed the WCL title.
India
