Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers, also known as ABD, has recently made vague references to maybe playing cricket again, albeit in a more informal role. Respected for his inventive batting and game-winning exploits, the iconic batsman retired from international cricket in 2018 and participated in his final IPL match in 2021. According to De Villiers, though, the world may not have seen his last days yet.
The Pretoria native is considered to be among the best batters of his time. De Villiers, who played in 114 Test matches, 228 ODIs, and 78 T20Is, has set many records, including the quickest ODI fifty, century, and 150. He scored 5162 runs in 184 games during his IPL heroics, especially with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Through his YouTube channel and commentary, Mr. 360 has maintained a connection to cricket after his retirement. De Villiers talked candidly about the prospect of playing the game again in a casual capacity in an interview with writer Melinda Farrell on the Running Between the Wickets show.
I’m not positive, but I might still play cricket in the future. I’m going to go out and play some casual cricket. And not SA tours or professional IPL stuff. We’ll see, but who knows? In a discussion video shared by well-known journalist Melinda Farrell, de Villiers declared, “I’m going to try it again.”
I’m not talking about RCB or anything severe, either. Who knows? However, we shall see. I’ll give it another go to see whether this eye still functions. Although it’s a little fuzzy, the dominant one—the right one—is functioning well. The 40-year-old stated, “I’m doing it for my kids and to see if I can go out there and enjoy cricket again.”
Check out AB de Villers’ viral interview here:
When you realise you’ve been well and truly stumped by @ABdeVilliers17! I wasn’t expecting this. Don’t miss our full chat:
🎥 https://t.co/6seW3XjMy1
📻 https://t.co/q1nVLTNrat pic.twitter.com/AhTOPRclD2— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) January 21, 2025
AB de Villiers: I don’t want to experience that pressure once more.
Imran Tahir, who is 45 years old and still plays competitive cricket, is another player that AB de Villiers praised. He clarified, nevertheless, that he is not referring to a return to the Royal Challengers’ Bangalore (RCB) or the wish to rediscover cricket away from the demands of professional competitions.
Wherever I go, I might ask him to join my squad. Just keep in mind that he is among my fave players. But nothing major. We’re not discussing RCB and other important topics. Yes, I do not wish to experience that pressure once more. That’s the problem. So I’ll have a little fun wherever I go,” he said.
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