The second season of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 ended in a fabulous manner as the South Africa champions, under their captain Ab de Villiers’ century in the final against the Pakistan champions, lifted their title. Chasing 196 runs, the Proteas crossed the finishing line with 19 balls to spare, as the veteran drilled 12 fours and seven sixes.

However, the most unexpected and hilarious moment of the day came at the end of the clash. Harshit Tomar, the owner of the WCL, was being interviewed by anchor Karishma Kotak when, right at the end of the program, she asked Harshit how he would plan to celebrate the success of the tournament. Tomar’s reply put everyone off guard.

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‘Probably once this is over, I am going to propose to you.’ Tomar said the comment, made on air, stunned the presenter. With an expression of ‘Oh my god.’ She was quick to regain her composure and switched back to her role. The moment has been the talking point on social media, with many views calling the exchange awkward and uncomfortable.

Watch: WCL owner proposed TV presenter after WCL 2025 final as video goes viral

Some of the spectators have criticized the bluntness of Tomar, who put Kotak under the bus in a live telecast. It was the latter’s brilliance to gather her for the moment, put everything aside, and get back to the job. Tomar, soon after the incident, shared a picture of himself with Kotak on social media, to which he captioned a heart emoji.

This is so weird bro 😭 pic.twitter.com/E8gRADq2sT

— Eems (@NaeemahBenjamin) August 3, 2025

Pakistan, batting first, smashed 195/5 in their 20 overs as Sharjeel Khan nailed 76 runs in 44 balls with the help of nine boundaries and four sixes. Umar Amin and Asif Ali provided them a vital end to the inning, which lost the pace in the middle overs.

In reply, the Proteas hardly needed to put a sweat as Ab drilled an unbeaten knock of 120 runs in 60 balls, smashing 12 boundaries and seven sixes at a strike rate of 200, while on the other hand, JP Duminy remained unbeaten on 50 runs in 28 balls to complete the successful chase.

The former South African pacer, Dale Steyn, has dropped a shocking statement to put social media on fire. He reckoned that his former captain of the international side, AB de Villiers, would still be better than half of the international players at the IPL. He also wondered if it could be even more than that.

Steyn’s statement comes just the day after South Africa Champions creamed their way to the title of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 by getting the better of the Pakistan side in the chase. As it had been the trend of the competition, Ab de Villiers smashed a fine century in the final to shoulder them over the line.

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De Villiers clubbed an unbeaten knock of 120 runs in 60 deliveries, shouldering on 12 boundaries and seven sixes at a strike rate of nearly 200 in the 197-run chase. That was his third century of the tournament, as he finished at the top of the run-scoring list with 431 runs in six innings at an average of 143.67 and a strike rate of 221.03. The next best in the list, JJ Smuts, had 250 runs less than Ab.

Dale Styen drops fiery statement on Ab de Villiers and IPL internationals

Ab de Villiers, who played the first half of his career with the Delhi capitals before shifting his base to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, earned the success as the eighth leading wicket-taker of the league with the help of 5162 runs in 170 innings at an average of nearly 40 and a strike rate of over 150 with three centuries and 40 half-centuries.

Unpopular/Popular opinion.

Ab is still better than half the internationals at IPL. Maybe even more.

— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) August 3, 2025

Steyn played a couple of seasons with Ab for the Bengaluru side in the IPL. His statement perhaps has come given the wicket-keeper took an early retirement from international cricket. Many have also felt that the Pretoria batter would have fired up the leagues around the world.

In his last season of the IPL in 2021, the right-handed batter ended with 313 runs in 14 innings at an average of 31.30 and a strike rate of 148.34 with two half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 76 runs.

Legendary South African batter AB de Villiers named his all-time IPL XI during a recent podcast with Shubhankar Mishra, where he included two Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captains—Virat Kohli and Daniel Vettori—alongside himself in the lineup. The revelation came amid the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025, where De Villiers played a starring role for the title-winning South Africa Champions.

De Villiers picked an XI stacked with IPL greats across eras. He said: "Rohit Sharma, Matthew Hayden, Virat Kohli at three, Suryakumar Yadav, myself at five, at six let's go Hardik Pandya, MS Dhoni seven, Bumrah at eight, Yuzi Chahal nine, Lasith Malinga ten, I'll just throw a little spin in the works, Daniel Vettori at eleven."
With Kohli batting at No. 3 and Vettori listed as the second spinner, the XI reflected both De Villiers' deep IPL experience and his respect for former RCB teammates and rivals.

Daniel Vettori was the skipper of RCB from 2011 to 2012. He won 15 out of 28 games and took the franchise to the 2011 IPL final. Virat Kohli took over as captain from 2013 to 2023 and also piloted the team in the 2016 final. De Villiers, who started with RCB in 2011, was the main man in the team’s batting line-up till 2021, scoring 4522 runs in 157 matches at an average of 41.10, including two hundreds and 37 fifties. 

De Villiers ignites WCL 2025 with game-changing ton

On top of being an all-time XI pick, De Villiers made headlines with his very good performance in the WCL 2025. The last match against the Pakistan Champions, he hit 120 unbeaten off only 60 balls while chasing 195. The innings of his, being 12 fours and 7 sixes, gave South Africa Champions the win in only 16.5 overs with nine wickets in hand. 

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De Villiers finished the competition as the top run-getter, scoring 429 runs in six games at an astonishing average of 143. His WCL stint saw him scoring three centuries and one half-century, confirming that the ex-IPL star has the fire that made him the most feared batsman in world cricket.

South Africa Champions simply demolished Pakistan Champions in the final of WCL 2025, which concluded on Sunday with South Africa as the winner. After the match, the former India international took a dig at the Pakistan Champions team through his social media post.

The comments made by Raina showcased his confidence in India and the commitment to representing the nation beyond the cricket ground. Raina was confident that India Champions too could have brutally defeated Pakistan. 

"What a knock by AB de Villiers in the final; he absolutely smashed it. Had we played, we would’ve crushed them too, but we chose our nation above everything else," Suresh Raina said this on his social media post. 

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Here's what Suresh Raina wrote:

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

The champions of India and Pakistan were scheduled to collide in the semifinal of the WCL 2025. But the team in blue chose to boycott the match. Thus, as per the rules of the tournament, Pakistan advanced to the final by default and faced South Africa in the title decider. AB de Villiers, who was honored with the man of the series and man of the match awards, single-handedly took the final match away from Pakistan. An unbeaten 120 off 60 from Villiers was enough to thrash Pakistan, supported by JP Jean-Paul Duminy's unbeaten 50. 

Pakistan, batting first, posted a formidable score of 195/5 in their 20 overs; Sharjeel Khan put in an exceptional performance by scoring 76 runs in 44 deliveries. But this total proved not enough to restrict the South African champions from lifting the WCL 2025 trophy. 

South Africa Champions crushed Pakistan Champions in the final of the World Championship of Legends 2025. The team contained multiple stars, the best in their prime active days. But, as the cricket followers know, South Africa's trophy luck was not with them.

Players like AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Hashim Amla, and many others mostly experienced heartbreaking runs in multiple ICC events. When they went to hoist the WCL 2025 trophy, the smiles and the expressions on their faces said all about their hard work and the end of a long wait to win a trophy for the country.

Throughout the series, SA Champions skipper AB de Villiers was in exceptional form; he continued the run flow against Pakistan Champions in the final encounter too. De Villiers', with his 120* runs in 60 deliveries, turned the match into a one-sided contest and helped South Africa to win the final by 9 wickets. Pakistan, batting first, set 196 as the target for the South African champions. Pakistan Champions opener Sharjeel Khan put in an exceptional performance by scoring 76 runs in 44 deliveries.

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SA lost Amla early during their run chase, and Pakistan got a chance to capture the front seat. But AB de Villiers pulled out another unearthly performance, well accompanied by Jean-Paul Duminy. Duminy remained unbeaten on a score of 50 runs as the South Africa Champions defeated the Pakistan Champions by nine wickets and hoisted the title. 

What a celebration man all trophy-less trolls ends today pic.twitter.com/0Lql1dTkpM

— Popa 🇮🇳 (@MagnesiumKohli) August 2, 2025

Pakistan vs South Africa Champions Playing XI:

South Africa Playing XI:

Hashim Amla, JJ Smuts, Morne van Wyk (w), Sarel Erwee, Jean-Paul Duminy, Wayne Parnell, Hardus Viljoen, Jacques Rudolph, Aaron Phangiso, Imran Tahir, Duanne Olivier.

Pakistan Playing XI:

Sharjeel Khan, Kamran Akmal (w), Mohammad Hafeez (c), Asif Ali, Shoaib Malik, Imad Wasim, Umar Amin, Aamer Yamin, Sohail Tanvir, Rumman Raees, Saeed Ajmal.

Sharjeel Khan gave Pakistan Champions a flying start, hitting nine fours and four big sixes in his quick 76 from 44 balls. Even though Kamran Akmal and captain Mohammad Hafeez got out early, Pakistan fought back.

Umar Amin played a sharp 36 not out from 19 balls, and Asif Ali added a quick 28 from 15 balls to take the total to 195 for 5. For South Africa Champions, Hardus Viljoen (2-38) and Wayne Parnell (2-32) picked up two wickets each.

Chasing 196, South Africa lost Hashim Amla for 18 to Saeed Ajmal by the end of the powerplay. From there, AB de Villiers and JP Duminy took charge. The pair added 125 runs without getting out.

De Villiers was at his brilliant best, smashing a century from just 47 balls his third of the tournament and guiding South Africa Champions to a comfortable 9‑wicket win over Pakistan Champions to lift the WCL 2025 trophy.

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Twitter reactions after SACH wins Final of WCL 2025

South Africa 🇿🇦 Champions are the Champions of WCL 2025 🏆

- SA Champions beat Pakistan Champions by 9 wickets and chased down 196 in just 16 overs 😨 pic.twitter.com/KbuLX3yiK6

— Richard Kettleborough (@RichKettle07) August 2, 2025

𝐂.𝐇.𝐀.𝐌.𝐏.𝐈.𝐎.𝐍.𝐒 🇿🇦🏆

South Africa Champions lift the WCL 2025 title after defeating Pakistan Champions in the Final! 🎉🙌

Skipper AB de Villiers leads from the front with an unbeaten century in Birmingham! 💪💯#ABdeVilliers #WCL2025 #SACHvPAKCH #Sportskeeda pic.twitter.com/OC9fb6d9Le

— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) August 2, 2025

ABD ROCKED 🥳

Pakistan Shocked 😜

We Have New WCL Champion 🍾

This Time For Africa ❤️ pic.twitter.com/kM2n7jP9G6

— Vaibhav Bhola 🇮🇳 (@VibhuBhola) August 2, 2025

SA are the champions of 2025 WCL 🔥

They Defeated Pakistan in final
AB deVilliers alone Scored 120* (60) pic.twitter.com/tBCxKJpJts

— 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔 (@Shebas_10dulkar) August 2, 2025

Whaat a winnn😭😭🥺🇿🇦
G.O.A.T. ABD 120* 💚💚
JP 50*💚💚💚
We are a WCL Champions Lads🔥 pic.twitter.com/Gy8z1iSGPl

— Basith----SA (@BasithSab) August 2, 2025

SA are the CHAMPIONS of WCL 2025!
They have defeated Pakistan in the final 💥

AB de Villiers – The Man, The Myth, The Madness!
120* (60) in the FINAL! 🐐💯
Led his team like a true legend.

The World Champion we all waited for. 🙌#WCL2025 #ABdeVilliers #SouthAfricaChampions pic.twitter.com/ioPh5HoJuQ

— AtifOnCricket 🏏 (@cricatif) August 2, 2025

SA champion is the champion of WCL2025❤️🔥
Abd leading the team and champion 🏆🏆🔥
What a year for ABD :-
RCB won trophy 🏆
SA won WTC 🏆
SAC won WCL🏆#SACHvsPAKCH pic.twitter.com/LDMsYLdim7

— King Kohli 🐐 (@duary_satyajit) August 2, 2025

𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮🇿🇦

WCL 2025 WINNER 🏆 pic.twitter.com/vw6iwdJxLJ

— Sanjay Saran (@SanjaySaran001) August 2, 2025

South Africa Champions turned up with an all-round performance to beat Pakistan Champions by 9 wickets in the final of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 which was contested at Edgbaston, Birmingham. AB de Villiers' explosive unbeaten century helped South Africa to a comfortable win with 19 balls remaining while they were chasing a challenging target of 196.

Pakistan Champions Innings

After choosing to bat first, the Pakistan Champions scored a very competitive total of 195/5 in 20 overs. Sharjeel Khan belted 9 fours and 4 sixes to go with his 76 off 44 balls. Sharjeel laid the foundation for a big total before falling to Wayne Parnell, who finished with 2/32 in his four overs. Middle-order batters Umar Amin (36 off 19) and Asif Ali (28 off 15) provided the finishing blow with a flurry in the last five overs with a partnership of 61 runs. Hardus Viljoen (2/38) and Duanne Olivier (1/38) also struck at crucial moments to contain the damage.

South Africa Champions Innings

In reply, the South Africa Champions were simply sensational. AB de Villiers was the aggressive, clean striker, reaching 120 in 60 balls just with strokes that were breathtaking. He was complemented by Jean-Paul Duminy, who scored 50 runs off just 28 balls, and Hashim Amla gave 18 runs off 14 balls. The three of them completed the chase target in 16.5 overs, finishing at 197/1. Saeed Ajmal took the only wicket, but he was not able to stop the run flow as the Pakistani bowlers failed to restrict the attacks.

With this emphatic win, the South Africa Champions claimed the WCL 2025 title in style. AB de Villiers' match-winning century will go down as one of the game-changing innings in tournament finals history, sealing South Africa's dominance in the tournament.

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Pakistan Champions vs South Africa Champions: Scorecard

Pakistan Champions – 195/5 (20 Overs)

South Africa Champions – 197/1 (16.5 Overs)

South Africa Champions outclassed Australia Champions in a nail-biting second semi-final of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025 by a solitary run. The match that was held at Edgbaston, Birmingham, went down to the last ball. Both sides led emphatically; however, South Africa was able to hang on at the end. With this win, they have entered the final to play against the Pakistan Champions.

South Africa Champions Innings

South Africa captain Aaron Phangiso decided to take batting first, and the innings was dominated by very powerful innings of Morne van Wyk and JJ Smuts. The openers were smashing every ball, with van Wyk hitting 76 from just 35 deliveries, full of aggressive stroke play. Smuts was a perfect partner to him, scoring a well-paced 57 from 41 balls. On the other hand, a collapse at the end of the innings saw South Africa drop from a strong position to 186/8 in 20 overs, losing five wickets in the last two overs. Peter Siddle was very good with the ball, finishing with figures of 4/30 in 4 overs. D'Arcy Short (2/32) and Brett Lee (1/24) gave him good support and started the collapse of the last innings.

Australia Champions Innings

Trying to chase 187, Australia fought well, and many of their players made meaningful contributions. Captain Daniel Christian led from the front with a gritty 49 from 29 balls, and supported by Chris Lynn (35 from 20) and D'Arcy Short (33 from 29), they carried the chase forward. However, the South African bowlers stood strong in the last few overs and did not lose their concentration. Wayne Parnell (2/33), Hardus Viljoen (2/41), and Duanne Olivier (1/14 in 2 overs) made sure that there were no boundaries at the critical times. Australia needed 10 from the last over, but they could only manage 8 runs and ended up with 185/7, just short of the target.

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South Africa Champions vs Australia Champions: Scorecard

South Africa Champions – 186/8 (20 Overs)

Australia Champions – 185/7 (20 Overs)

AB de Villiers played a magical knock as South Africa Champions defeated Australia Champions by a big margin of 95 runs in the World Championship of Legends 2025 at Headingley. His brilliant hundred, along with top bowling from Aaron Phangiso and Imran Tahir, made it an unforgettable match for South Africa.

After winning the toss, South Africa chose to bat first. De Villiers and JJ Smuts gave the team a flying start with a huge 187-run partnership for the first wicket. De Villiers was unstoppable, scoring 123 runs off just 46 balls with 15 fours and 8 sixes. He reached his fifty in only 20 balls and hit 22 runs in one over from D’Arcy Short to get to his second straight WCL century. Smuts also batted well, scoring 85 runs from 53 balls. The pair helped South Africa reach 241/6 in 20 overs.

Australia had a mountain to climb, and things went wrong from the very first ball. Imran Tahir removed Chris Lynn, and the wickets kept falling. Phangiso picked up 4 wickets for 22 runs, while Tahir took 3 for 20. Australia were 67/8 by the 10th over.

Ben Cutting tried to fight back with an unbeaten 59, and he added 79 runs with Peter Siddle, but the damage had already been done. Australia were all out for 146 in 16.4 overs, handing South Africa a massive win and making a big statement in the tournament.

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Twitter reactions after South Africa Champions Crush Australia Champions in WCL 2025

AB de Villiers hit a second successive century as South Africa thrashed Australia by 95 runs in their World Championship of Legends match at Headingley. pic.twitter.com/RQYaYqCERc

— SA Cricket magazine (@SACricketmag) July 27, 2025

AB de Villiers’ massive century and JJ Smuts’ blazing 85 power South Africa Champions to a huge total on the board!#WCL2025 #SACvsAUSC #CricTracker pic.twitter.com/4UbY7DL7qs

— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) July 27, 2025

An all-round performance by South Africa Champions as they beat Australia Champions by 95 runs.

2/2 wins today 💯% In Premium Reports#WCL2025 #WCL #WCL25 pic.twitter.com/dYZSsKrg1W

— Cricket Insider (@theDcricket2O) July 27, 2025

An all-round performance by South Africa Champions as they beat Australia Champions by 95 runs.#WCL2025 #CricTracker pic.twitter.com/noPKEgOgf6

— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) July 27, 2025

An all-round performance by South Africa Champions as they beat Australia Champions by 95 runs.

2/2 wins today 💯% In Premium Reports#WCL2025 #WCL #WCL25 pic.twitter.com/7DLzChazEt

— Cricket King 👑 (@HashtagCricket7) July 27, 2025

South Africa Champions dominate with a massive 95-run victory! 🔥 AB de Villiers shines with a match-winning century, propelling the team to the top of the points table! Dominance at its finest! ⚡#WCL2025 | #CatchEveryMatch | #DontStopStreaming | #tapmad pic.twitter.com/XvoAPZIc0k

— tapmad (@tapmadtv) July 27, 2025

An all-round performance by South Africa Champions as they beat Australia Champions by 95 runs.

2/2 wins today 💯% In Premium Reports#WCL2025 #WCL #WCL25 pic.twitter.com/KOyBvDcruC

— Cricket Predictions Guru (@Crick365) July 27, 2025

A clip of the former captain of the South Africa side, AB de Villiers, has gone viral, where the former batter of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise recently had an interview on social media. In the interaction, the reporter addressed the veteran batter as one of India’s most loved ‘non-Indian’ athletes. The batter, after all, has been playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for a long time.  

The South Africa batter gave a very shocking reply, suggesting how much he loves India. The star player, who has a tremendous fanbase in this country, often dubs his YouTube videos into Hindi for the Indian spectators and listeners to understand.

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‘What do you mean by non-Indian? I am Indian.’ The former Protea batter’s clip from the interview has gone viral and has been shared on X (formerly known as Twitter) on July 27. The post has a huge number of views on social media platforms. Ab was present in India during the last week of IPL 2025 and celebrated Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), earning the title.

Watch: AB de Villiers makes shocking statement during WCL 2025

The right-handed batter, featuring for the SA Champions in the WCL 2025, against the Australia side at Leeds in Headingley, smashed 123 runs in just 46 balls. It was a knock arranged by 15 boundaries and eight sixes at a strike rate of 267.39. His opening partner, JJ Smuts, smacked 85 runs in 53 balls at 160.38 with the help of 10 boundaries and three sixes.

AB De Villiers: What do you mean, non-Indian? I'm Indian. pic.twitter.com/nA8rPQ3faI

— Vivek 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (@Mybrovirat) July 27, 2025

It was his second century of the tournament, having already smashed the first of the event against England at Grace Road in Leicester. It was a chase of 153 runs where Hashim Amla was just a spectator for his 29 unbeaten runs in 25 balls. AB dashed unbeaten 116 runs in 51 deliveries at a strike rate of 227.45, thanks to 15 boundaries and seven over boundaries.

South Africa is in the top position with four victories in five clashes at a net run-rate of +2.595. The only game they missed was against Pakistan, and they went on to lose the affair. They have qualified for the semifinal on July 31 at Edgbaston in Birmingham.