AB de Villiers stuns fans with sudden cricket comeback announcement

Legendary South African cricketer AB de Villiers is set to make a long-awaited return to action on the cricket field after nearly four years. On Tuesday, January 28, he made an official announcement of him making a comeback to the game with the World Championship of Legends (WCL).

AB de Villiers has confirmed that he will captain the Game Changers South Africa Champions in the upcoming second edition of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) later this year. Notably, the WCL is a T20 tournament featuring retired and non-contracted cricket stars across the world.

AB de Villiers announces return to cricket with WCL 2025

Notably, Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs, Dale Steyn, and Imran Tahir were part of the Game Changers South Africa Champions in the first edition of the World Championship of Legends, and they are likely to return for the next season and play under the captaincy of De Villiers.

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The former South African captain revealed that his passion has been reignited as he spent time playing with his young sons, and that’s why he decided to return to the field through the World Championship of Legends (WCL). Mr. 360 also revealed that he started working on his fitness and hitting the nets to get match-ready for the tournament in July 2025.

I feel some kind of flame has been lit again: AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers was quoted as saying by News18: “Four years ago, I retired from all cricket because I just didn’t feel the urge to play anymore. Well, time has passed, and my young sons have started playing the game. We’ve been playing more and more often in the garden, and, well, it feels as though some kind of flame has been lit again. So, I am heading back to the gym and the nets, and I’ll be ready for WCL in July.”

It’s official. I will be playing for the South African team @WCLSAChampions in the upcoming @WclLeague 2025! 🌟

Mark your calendars: the tournament runs from 18th July to 2nd August.

Can’t wait to renew rivalry with so many legends from five other countries. I’m heading to the… pic.twitter.com/4GnUwdP8LB

— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) January 28, 2025

ABD will undoubtedly inspire us to new heights: Amandeep Singh

Meanwhile, Amandeep Singh, co-owner of South Africa Champions and founder of Game Changers, expressed excitement about AB de Villiers leading their team in the World Championship of Legends. He said that the legendary batter’s return, and that too as captain, is a huge boost for the team.

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Amandeep Singh stated: “We are honored to compete in the World Championship of Legends and showcase the incredible talent of our cricketing greats. AB de Villiers’ return as our captain is a monumental boost for our team, and his leadership will undoubtedly inspire us to new heights.”

AB de Villiers' career highlight in numbers

Notably, De Villiers had announced his retirement from all forms of the game in 2018. Over his illustrious career, he played 114 Tests, 228 ODIs, and 78 T20Is for South Africa. The explosive batter amassed 8,765 runs in Tests, 9,577 runs in ODIs, and 1,672 runs in T20Is in his career.

He also enjoyed a remarkable IPL career, playing for the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). He played in 184 IPL matches and scored 4,491 runs at an impressive strike rate of 151.91, including 37 half-centuries and 2 centuries to his name.