IPL 2019: AB de Villiers Gives Huge Boost To Royal Challengers Bangalore

Royal Challengers Bangalore would have feared the worst after hearing the news of AB de Villiers sustaining a back injury just days ahead of the Indian Premier League.  The right-handed batsman was ruled out of the competition of the Pakistan leg of the Pakistan Super League due to the injury. With the IPL set to start on March 23, the news would have been a big blow for the Royal Challengers.

Missing the former South Africa skipper will be a big blow for the Bangalore-based franchise. De Villiers’ has been one of Royal Challengers’ batting mainstays since joining the side in 2011. He impressed with the bat in the last edition too, scoring nearly 500 runs despite missing a couple of games. However, the star batsman has given a huge boost to the franchise, revealing that the doctor has advised him to rest for two weeks which means he will be fit in time for the league starting on March 23.

“I am very disappointed that I will not be able to play in front of the passionate Pakistani cricket fans. I saw my doctor who has advised complete rest for two weeks and, unfortunately, that rules me out of the games in Karachi,” de Villiers said.

“I hope to be a part of the PSL next year and very much hope to play my part in the return of international cricket to the country. I am backing Lahore Qalandars to go all the way and win the trophy this year,” he added.

De Villiers, meanwhile, was in sensational form in the Pakistan Super League. Playing for Lahore Qalandars, he scored 218 runs at an average of 54.50.

Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bangalore will be looking to bounce back after the disastrous outing in the last edition of the Indian Premier League. After a dismal start to the season, they had managed a brief recovery in the second half. After two wins in the first seven fixtures, they managed double the amount of success in the next seven, but that still wasn’t enough. They eventually failed to make it to the playoffs.

The Royal Challengers will open their season against defending champions Chennai Super Kings on March 23.