AB de Villiers announces comeback to Cricket

Published - 22 Jan 2025, 11:05 AM | Updated - 22 Jan 2025, 11:09 AM

AB de Villiers (Credits: X)

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Legendary South African cricketer AB de Villiers has sparked excitement among cricket fans by dropping a major hint about returning to the cricket field. However, the former Proteas captain is not considering returning to the Indian Premier League (IPL) or Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

AB de Villiers, who was known for his innovative stroke play and ability to dominate bowlers in any conditions, last graced the international stage in 2018 and retired from all forms of the game in 2021.

South African legend AB de Villiers considers comeback to the field

Recently, he has opened up about his comeback plans with a heartfelt reason behind his decision. Mr. 360 has revealed how his little kids have been pushing him to pick up the bat again.

After fascinating millions with his daring strokes and unmatched creativity, De Villiers is considering playing casual cricket, as he made it clear that he isn’t planning a grand return to the IPL or South Africa

AB de Villiers also revealed that his left eye isn’t as sharp as it used to be, but his dominant right eye is sharp enough for him to give it a shot. The South African batting legend expressed his excitement about playing the game casually with his kids first and rediscovering the joy of cricket, and that will help him make further decisions about his journey.

I might still play cricket one day: AB de Villiers

Speaking in an interview on Running Between The Wickets, AB de Villiers said, “I might still play cricket one day. No confirmation whatsoever, but I’m starting to feel it. My kids are putting me under a bit of pressure, and I feel like I could go to the nets with them. If I enjoy it, maybe I'll walk out and go and play a little bit of casual cricket somewhere again and not professional IPL stuff or SA tours.”

The legendary cricketer added, “Who knows? But we'll see. I'm going to try it again and see if this eye is still working. It's a bit blurry, but this (the right one) is the dominant one, and it's working fine. So, I'm doing it for my kids and see if I can go out there and enjoy cricket again.”

Speaking on the remarkable career of 45-year-old Imran Tahir, de Villiers has expressed his admiration for the evergreen spin legend and even revealed his playful thoughts about teaming up with his former Proteas teammate. Sadly, de Villiers ruled out making a return to the IPL or Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

'We're not talking about RCB and big stuff'

The legendary cricketer has stressed that he doesn’t want to face the intense pressure of big leagues but wants to simply play for fun and rediscover the joy of the game without the weight of expectations. Notably, he represented South Africa in 114 Tests, 228 ODIs, and 78 T20Is.

De Villiers signed off by saying, “I'll maybe ask him to be in my team wherever I go. Just remember this: he's one of my favorite players. Nothing serious, though. We're not talking about RCB and big stuff. Yes, I don't want to feel that pressure again. That's the thing. So, wherever I go, I'll have a bit of fun.”