AB De Villiers reunites with RCB for IPL 2023

AB De Villiers is a very popular name in the world of cricket. This South African International cricketer is famous for his incredible shots and excellent fielding concepts. A few years ago, ABD declared retirement from all formats of international cricket. But he left a queue for the overseas cricket leagues.

Especially, he had a great weakness for the Indian Premier League, perhaps for the deep affection for him among the cricket lovers here or the huge package the tournament offers. However, there is a rumour that the South African beast is supposed to come back to the 22 yards of IPL.

AB De Villiers in IPL:

De Villiers is also known as the 360-degree batter worldwide. He possesses hard-hitting skills, being more than a decent wicketkeeper and a fit fielder who can put opponents to shame on the field. On a good day, ABD can win you matches single-handedly. He can switch from a classic batter to play more innovative shots. It sets him apart from most other South African batters.

For Royal Challengers Bangalore, Ab De Villiers has had many exciting innings, even grabbing an award for the most power-packed knock in the 2012 IPL for his assault on ‘Steyn-Gun’. He has been an excellent finisher, hitting a sublime century in Mumbai in 2015 and another in Bengaluru against Gujarat in 2016. With Virat Kohli, AB has made five 100+ partnerships and two 200+ partnerships, the only pair in the world to post 2 such partnerships. He scored 687 runs in 2016, finishing third on the runs table.

Rumour regarding De Villiers:

Former RCB batter AB De Villiers missed the last edition of IPL after announcing retirement from all formats of cricket. Recently, the franchise has included his name in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Hall of Fame and thus honored him with a medal for his contribution to the Indian Premier League. 

Virat Kohli, a worthy partner of ABD, confessed that he missed having the South African batter around him in the RCB camp. But he hinted at ABD’s possibility to come back to the camp next season. Now, the matter is not transparent about whether we will see him as a player or in other roles in the team.

In a development, De Villiers confirmed that he is going to be a part of the team set up in the 2023’s edition, but in which role, needs to be confirmed yet. Reportedly, he stressed that he is genuinely missing his Indian fans and also felt to get it back earlier. He stated to the sports media, “We have not decided anything yet. I will be around IPL next year. I am not sure in what capacity, but I am missing the IPL vibe.”

AB De Villiers’s IPL stats:

AB de Villiers played his first three seasons of the Indian Premier League for Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals). Then he switched to Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2011. Since then, ABD never played for any other team in the IPL.

De Villiers declared his retirement news from all forms of cricket after the conclusion of IPL 2021 in UAE, finishing a satisfactory IPL career with 5162 runs at an average of 39.71 and an impressive strike rate of 151.68. He made a total of 40 half-centuries and 3 centuries next to his name.

The South African batting legend ended as the second-most capped player for RCB and the second-most run-getter in the franchise’s history only behind Virat Kohli.

Wrap lines:

AB De Villiers thinks that Royal Challengers Bangalore is too good now. Ironically, he added that he might not get a chance in the starting XI next year. He stated, “I would rather be fans and support the boys to bring the Trophy back home.” So, it gives a hint that perhaps he will join the franchise as a technical staff in the next year IPL.