He witnessed South Africa end their 27-year ICC title drought—right from the stands at Lord’s.
As the final moments of the match unfolded, the TV cameras repeatedly focused on AB de Villiers, who was sitting in the Lord’s gallery with his two sons. The former South African captain was visibly thrilled as Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma, and the team brought home a long-awaited global trophy.
On Saturday, South Africa defeated Australia by 5 wickets in the ICC World Test Championship final at Lord’s. It was their first major ICC title since winning the inaugural ICC KnockOut (now Champions Trophy) back in 1998.
Markram played a heroic innings, scoring a match-winning century during the 282-run chase. Following the win, De Villiers—who represented South Africa from 2004 to 2018—congratulated the entire team on social media.
“Congratulations South Africa. Brilliant win and such good cricket! Congrats to Markram for the match-winning ton, and to Temba for such good leadership.”
“What a wonderful experience to witness this beautiful format of the game! The drama, the wait, and finally the sweet victory—it was a moment to enjoy. To experience it with my two boys was thrilling. I couldn’t have imagined it any better.”
Earlier this month, De Villiers celebrated another long-awaited win—when his former IPL franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore, lifted their maiden title after 18 years. He joined the Virat Kohli-led team for the celebrations. Now, he’s been a witness to his own country breaking their trophy drought—from the iconic Lord’s pavilion.
