Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers wants to return to his second home. This is the reason why he will return in the next season of Indian Premier League i.e. IPL 2023. AB de Villiers himself has confirmed this. Batsman AB de Villiers has said that he will definitely return to the IPL in some form or the other next year with Royal Challengers Bangalore.
AB de Villiers has been an integral part of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). He had said goodbye to all formats of cricket last year. Former RCB captain Virat Kohli said this month that he expects AB de Villiers to join RCB in a new role next year.
Kohli then said, ‘I miss him a lot. We are in touch. I talk to him regularly. He keeps messaging me. He was recently in America watching golf (Augusta Masters). He told me that he is enjoying it with his friends and family there. He is watching RCB very keenly. Hopefully he will be with us next year.
AB de Villiers told VU Sport, ‘I am glad that Virat Kohli has confirmed this. To be honest, nothing has been decided yet, but I will definitely return to IPL next year. Don’t know in which role, but I miss him.
He said, ‘Heard that some matches may be held in Bangalore next year. I would like to return to my second home. I would like to see the packed Chinnaswamy Stadium again. I am waiting to return. AB de Villiers is one of the icon players of IPL. He made his IPL debut with Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) before moving to Royal Challengers Bangalore.
He became the mainstay of the team’s middle order at Delhi Daredevils. His ability to play unconventional shots on the field made him extremely popular among Indian fans. He played a total of 184 matches in IPL. In this he scored 5162 runs at an average of 39.71 and strike rate of 151.68. It also includes his three centuries and 40 half-centuries. AB de Villiers played 157 matches for RCB and scored 4522 runs. His RCB career spanned over a decade.