South African great AB de Villiers retired from all forms of cricket on November 19, saying that the "flame no longer burns so brightly". This ended his association with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which had been for 10 years since he joined the team in 2011. (Image: AFP)

The veteran batsman, who stopped playing internationals in 2018, tweeted: "It has been an incredible journey, but I have decided to retire from all cricket. Ever since the back yard matches with my older brothers, I have played the game with pure enjoyment and unbridled enthusiasm. Now, at the age of 37, that flame no longer burns so brightly." (Image: AFP)

Praise poured in for de Villiers, with former South African captain Graeme Smith calling him "probably the best player across all three formats that I played with or against in my career". (Image: AFP)

Virat Kohli shared a heartfelt note on social media for AB de Villiers after the former South Africa captain announced his retirement and called him ‘the most inspirational person’ he has ever met. (Image: AFP)

In his career which spans for 17 years, De Villiers played 114 Tests, 228 ODIs and 78 T20 internationals for South Africa, scoring more than 20,000 runs across the three formats. (Image: AFP)

The South African batsman holds the record for the fastest 50, 100 and 150 of all time in One Day Internationals (ODI) history. (Image: AFP)

Due to his ability to play shots all around the wicket he is also known as the ‘Mr. 360’ batsman and as ‘Superman’ due to his acrobatic fielding. (Image: AFP)

AB de Villiers retires: A look at Mr 360’s 17-year cricket career

South African great AB de Villiers retired from all forms of cricket on November 19, saying that the "flame no longer burns so brightly". This ended his association with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which had been for 10 years since he joined the team in 2011.