In a surprising revelation, the former South Africa cricket star AB de Villiers has hinted at the possibility of returning to the cricket field. However, fans of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be disappointed as De Villiers has explicitly ruled out a return to the IPL or professional cricket. The legendary batter, who retired from international cricket in 2018 and last played for RCB in the IPL 2021 season, shared his thoughts during a recent interaction.
No IPL, no RCB: AB de Villiers prefers a relaxed approach
De Villiers has hinted at his possible return to casual cricket, influenced by encouragement from his children. He mentioned feeling motivated to visit the nets with them and possibly play informal matches for fun while ruling out a return to professional cricket, including the IPL with RCB or international tours with South Africa.
“Maybe I’ll play cricket again one day. No confirmation at all, but I’m starting to feel it. My kids put a bit of pressure on me and I feel like I could go to the nets with them. if I like it maybe I’ll go out and go play some casual cricket somewhere again and not professional IPL stuff or SA tours,” De Villiers said in an interview with journalist Melinda Farrell as quoted by Times of India.
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“We don’t talk about RCB”
Asked about similarities regarding his potential return with his former teammate Imran Tahirwho plays franchise cricket after his retirement, De Villiers expressed his admiration for his teammates and hinted at an occasional partnership. He joked about Tahir’s inclusion in his team, calling him one of his favorite players, but clarified that it wasn’t serious.
The Proteas star stressed that she avoids the pressures of professional cricket, including RCB or international matches, and instead focuses on playing just for fun.
“Maybe I’ll ask him to be part of my team wherever I go. Remember this: he’s one of my favorite players. Nothing serious though. We are not talking about RCB and big stuff. Yes, I don’t want to feel this pressure anymore. That’s the problem. So wherever I go I’ll have a little fun,» he added.