5 stars who announced their international retirement in 2018

#1 AB de Villiers

South Africa v Australia - 4th Test: Day 1

Perhaps the biggest loss to world cricket was the retirement of AB de Villiers, one of the best strokemakers in the game over the last decade and a half. De Villiers' ability to change the complexion of the game out of nowhere made him one of the superstars of the game, and one of South Africa's brightest talents and guiding forces in the last 10 years.

Several big South African names decided to hang their boots since De Villiers' debut, and the right-handed batsman has made sure that the void has been filled over the years, first as a youngster in the side and later as a senior statesman.

His retirement came out of the blue, days after his side Royal Challengers Bangalore crashed out of IPL 2018, and a year ahead of the World Cup, one of his biggest dreams to achieve as a cricketer, and an unfulfilled one at that.