Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers believes the 2027 Men's ODI World Cup will have a transformative impact on aspiring cricketers in the country, drawing a direct parallel to how the 2003 edition — held on home soil — shaped his own formative years as a 19-year-old. Speaking in a select interaction facilitated by FanCode, the official broadcaster of the World Championship of Legends, de Villiers said the tournament's return to Southern Africa after 24 years carries significance far beyond the boundary ropes.

A Personal Memory That Defined a Career

De Villiers recalled a vivid moment from the 2003 World Cup that left a lasting mark. Australia had organised a cricket clinic at the University of Pretoria, where he was then playing, and he found himself working on his wicketkeeping with none other than Adam Gilchrist.

'He had no idea who I was at that time. But I very clearly recall having a very good moment with him. He told me to work on my left hand and said, ‘All the best, youngster.’ Three years later, I played cricket against him in Test matches and ODIs,' de Villiers said. He added that the encounter 'had a huge impact' on him and expressed confidence that the 2027 edition would generate the same feeling for today’s youth.

South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia to Co-Host

South Africa will co-host the 50-over mega event alongside Zimbabwe and Namibia from 2 October to 21 November 2027. While South Africa and Zimbabwe were also co-hosts in 2003 — alongside Kenya — it will be Namibia's maiden senior ICC tournament as a host nation. De Villiers welcomed the economic and cultural opportunity the tournament brings. 'From an economical point of view, great to have the World Cup here in South Africa, also co-hosted by Namibia and Zimbabwe and I’m looking forward to the rest of the world to come and enjoy the great parts of South Africa and how welcoming we can be and we are really good hosts,' he said.

Proteas Backed to Perform on Home Soil

With South Africa yet to claim a Men's ODI World Cup title, de Villiers backed the current Proteas side — who had recently recorded their sixth consecutive ODI series win against Australia — to make a strong run at home. 'The team really looks strong now. Most of the team is still relatively unknown globally. But I know they have a lot of chemistry. There’s a great culture there and lots of individuals who can win you games of cricket,' he said.

He was candid about the 2003 campaign, noting it 'doesn’t bring back great memories from a performance point of view,' but struck an optimistic note for 2027. His message to the Proteas: 'Just keep it in now, stay focused on what the goal is, and hopefully they’ll have a really good World Cup.'

India's Selection Headache and the IPL Pipeline

Turning his attention to India, de Villiers highlighted the role of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in building an extraordinary depth of talent. 'The IPL is an incredible platform and laid the foundation for Indian cricket to just have such a large depth of talent. That’s also not going to change anytime soon,' he observed.

He pointed to the spin stocks as a particular area of intrigue, naming Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar among the options, before adding that the batting department poses an even bigger puzzle. 'They really have about a group of 10 batters to pick from who are all match winners. I consider myself lucky that I’m not an Indian selector. It’s a tough job with the amount of talent they have,' he said.

De Villiers on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: 'Absolutely Phenomenal'

Among India’s newest stars, de Villiers reserved special praise for young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who broke into the India T20I setup following his debut against England at Manchester in July. De Villiers called him 'absolutely phenomenal to watch' but urged him to evolve beyond one-dimensional hitting.

'The next phase for him is to find a blueprint in different formats, in different conditions, realising that every game poses a different challenge, and playing the situation instead of just playing one way,' de Villiers said. He expressed hope that Sooryavanshi would eventually make his mark in Test cricket, adding: 'He’s got all the talent in the world. He’s still very young, so there’s plenty of time. I’m looking forward to watching that journey unfold.'

With the 2027 Men's ODI World Cup still a year away, the tournament already carries the weight of history — and, if de Villiers is right, the promise of inspiring the next generation of cricketing heroes from Southern Africa.