De Villiers's amazing double ton

It was a moment to celebrate, even though the occasion didn't live up to the hype.

The 200th one-day international match of AB de Villiers's career for South Africa ended with a whimper, with just six balls bowled before inclement weather forced the match to be called off.

The game in Barbados was De Villiers' 205th career match - he's also played five ODIs for the Africa XI - but the Kensington Oval game represented his double century of matches for the Proteas.

He's all you need to know about his extraordinary ODI career.

His Numbers

After 200 matches for the Proteas, De Villiers boasts a record of 8590 runs at an average of 54.71, at a career strike rate of just a touch more than 100 as well as 24 centuries and 47 fifties. That translates to a score of 50 or more every 2.7 matches and a century every eight matches he plays.

A Slow Start

Interestingly, a young AB made a less-than-fruitful beginning to a career that will be remembered as one of the greatest ever. He made his ODI debut on February 2, 2005, scoring 20 at the top of the order in a match against England in Bloemfontein that finished in a tie. And De Villiers had to wait another 14 innings to post his maiden ODI half-century, a score of 68 against Australia in Port Elizabeth in 2006, and his first ODI century didn't come until his 35th career innings, his 146 against the West Indies in Grenada scored more than two years after his debut. The slow start to De Villiers' career only makes what he's achieved since then even more impressive.

What He Said

"I'm not too fussed about those kind of things. Yes, it's a nice milestone and sort of a way to wake up and to look back at how lucky I've been over my career to play so many games and to have been around for so long. It is a great privilege and an honour to represent this country and to have played for this long. It's a huge privilege, that's all I can say. I don't know what else to say, really. I'm pretty fortunate to be in this position and hopefully there'll be a few more to enjoy and a few victories. The little moments I remember are all the team wins, the friendships I've made over the years, but certainly the close games we've one as a team more so than personal milestones. Those are the things I look back to and remember and think that I'm really a fortunate man."

His Top Three Performances

102* from 59 balls v India, Ahmedabad, 2010

The surface was flat, the outfield fast and a platform set and De Villiers took full toll to score his second century from as many matches. Coming to the crease with the Proteas flying at 2-192 with 17 overs remaining, he plundered 11 fours and three sixes in reaching his hundred from 58 balls, joining Jacques Kallis with three figures as his side amassed 2-365 from their 50 overs in a 90-run victory.

149 from 44 balls v West Indies, Johannesburg, 2015

It was the innings that saw records tumble, fans delight and players around the world shake their heads in disbelief. On a perfect day at The Wanderers, De Villiers strode to the crease with less than 12 overs remaining, looking to add some polish to a score that was already destined to be almost un-chaseable. What followed was one of the single greatest innings in the history of 50-over cricket as De Villiers crunched nine fours and 16 sixes to shatter multiple records and delight a raucous home crowd.

162* from 66 balls v West Indies, Sydney, 2015

If the Windies thought they'd suffered enough in Jo'Burg, they were put through the ringer again during their World Cup clash at the SCG just a month later. But unlike at The Wanderers, De Villiers came to the crease with plenty of work still to do, the score 3-146 and 20 overs still remaining. He hammered what was then the second-fastest century in World Cup history and finished his innings with 17 fours and eight sixes, with only the end of South Africa's innings bringing a halt to the carnage.

The Record Breaker

Below is just a sample of the ODI records De Villiers has to his name

Image Id: ~/media/964D6247257B41268F480A14CA5DEF90 Image Caption: AB De Villiers has electrified crowds across the globe

Most sixes in a single innings

AB clattered 16 maximums in just 44 balls in that famous innings against the Windies at The Wanderers, the equal most in a single innings. Rohit Sharma (209 from 158 balls against Australia in Bangalore) and Chris Gayle (215 from 147 balls against Zimbabwe in Canberra) share the record of 16 sixes.

Fastest 50, 100 and 150 in history

Those two famous performances against the West Indies in 2015 mean AB holds the mark for the fastest to each milestone from 50 to 150 in ODI cricket. He reached his fifty from just 16 balls and his century from 31 deliveries at The Wanderers to break the previous records of 17 and 36 balls respectively, while he reached 150 from just 64 balls at the SCG, smashing the previous mark of 83 deliveries. If only he'd managed just a single run more in Johannesburg, his mark of 44 balls to reach that milestone would have taken some serious beating.

Highest strike rate for an innings of 50 or more

AB's strike rate from that famous Johannesburg knock (149 from 44 balls) was an incredible 338.63, easily the highest for a score of 100 or more and the fastest 50-plus score in history. It's also the third highest strike rate of any ODI innings, behind James Franklin (31no from 8 balls at 387.50) and Nathan McCullum (32no from 9 at 355.55).

Most sixes in a calendar year

The Proteas star hit 58 maximums from 20 ODIs in 2015, easily surpassing the previous record of 48 set by Pakistan's Shahid Afridi in 2002.

Most centuries by a South African

De Villiers has 24 ODI tons to his name, the most of any South African and the sixth most of any player. However, his teammate Hashim Amla is just one behind and closing fast.

Most World Cup runs by a South African

AB has scored a total of 1207 runs in cricket's showpiece event, the most of any South African and the fifth most of all time. He has also hit 37 sixes in World Cups, the equal most of any player in history, a record he shares with West Indian Chris Gayle.