Among the all-time greats in cricket is AB de Villiers. After 18 years of delighting cricket enthusiasts, he announced his retirement from all kinds of cricket in 2021. Because of some of his incredible innings while playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), De Villiers also became well-known in that country. But he didn’t begin his IPL career at RCB; instead, it began in 2008 when he made his debut with the Delhi Daredevils, who are now the Delhi Capitals.
The South African veteran moved to RCB after playing for the Delhi franchise for three seasons, when he teamed up with Virat Kohli to form a famous combination. But many people were surprised when Delhi let go of a player of de Villiers’ caliber. The Pretoria native has disclosed what transpired before his departure from Delhi, sixteen years after his departure.
AB de Villiers disclosed that he was informed that he would be retained for the 2011 IPL when he was invited into the office by Delhi executives. He was caught off guard nonetheless when the right-handed hitter was freed prior to the auction.
“You are going to get retained, young AB de Villiers,” I was told when I was brought into the office during the 2010 season as a player. In that meeting, I was seated next to David Warner. A week or two later, I was really taken aback to learn that I had been discharged. According to de Villiers on his YouTube channel, “So the communication wasn’t great back in the day; that must be different these days but it’s not a nice feeling.”
You’re uncertain about your profession; in 2010, I believe I participated in just five IPL games, so many questions began to arise. However, I had an excellent international season. I continued to play excellent cricket, and fortunately, the auction took place and the RCB selected me. That completely transformed my life, and I have wonderful memories associated with it,” the 39-year-old continued.
After being selected by Bangalore for INR 5 crore in the 2011 auction, De Villiers played for them for 11 seasons, putting on some of the most spectacular performances in league history.
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