Picture Credit: Twitter
Former Royal Challengers Bangalore batter AB de Villiers has carved his name in the history books as among the most explosive cricketer to ever grace the game. The most prolific batter of his time, De Villiers bid farewell to India's domestic tournament in October, last year. The Proteas batter was largely missed in the Bangalore camp this year as the franchise once again missed the opportunity to lift the prestigious title.
Popularly known as 'Mr 360', De Villiers has recently revealed that as the Indian Premier League is back in its traditional home-and-away format, he will be back in the Bangalore setup. Now many would wonder if AB de Villiers will undo his retirement from the tournament, former RCB player has cleared that he will join the franchise in some capacity but not as a player.
While speaking to VU Sports YouTube channel, De Villers termed Bangalore as his 'second hometown' and he would love to return to Bangalore camp.
"I have heard that we have few games in Bangalore next year. I would love to return to my second hometown. I’ll be definitely around the IPL next year in whatever capacity," he said. The 38-year-old also shared that he watched every RCB game in IPL 2022 and missed being part of the IPL setup.
"I watch each and every game of RCB. I must say that I missed the feeling of playing Infront of such a huge crowd cheering for you and chanting your name. I would like to experience that feeling again and again," De Villers added.
In fact, De Villiers himself has ruled out the possibility of returning to top-level sport again. He revealed on Twitter live that he had undergone surgery because of retinal eye detachment which is why he would not be able to play top-level cricket.
The South African left IPL as the sixth-highest run-getter and one of the two Proteas batters to amass more than 5000 runs. Delhi Daredevils was the first franchise that secured his services in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2008 for USD $300,000.
But De Villers rose to fame after he was roped in by RCB next year in 2009. The top-order batter forged the batting core of the side with Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli. With his incredible dedication and commitment to the franchise and many memorable knocks, De Villers earned a massive fan following in the country, specifically Bangalore, the franchise he played for in the cash-rich league.
