Published 17:59 IST, May 15th 2020
AB de Villiers echoes Virat Kohli with staying 'for the rest of my life with RCB' claim
Former South Africa batsman AB de Villiers issues promise to RCB supporters, claims he will play for the Bangalore-based franchise 'all his life'.
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AB de Villiers began his IPL journey with the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) back in 2008. After spending two years in Delhi, the talented Proteas batsman was brought into the RCB setup to star alongside some big names like Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli. Over the course of his 9-year stay in Bangalore, AB de Villiers has developed into a fan favourite for the RCB faithful, even earning plaudits from the team's captain Virat Kohli for his consistent displays in the IPL.
Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers named in RCB's top-three batsmen list
With some of the most destructive and talented batsmen in the team, we have managed to set and chase down targets in the toughest of conditions over the years! Here are our 🔝 3️⃣ batsmen who have given us some unforgettable memories! 🤩#PlayBold #TopThree pic.twitter.com/lSqCcDlGcS
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) May 15, 2020
AB de Villiers promises to stay at RCB 'for the rest of his life'
While speaking to Zimbabwean commentator Pommie Mbangwa in an Instagram live chat, South African great AB de Villiers spoke about his love for the IPL and RCB in particular. The Proteas great was quoted as saying “Obviously, playing for Bangalore for the first three-four years, going into your fifth year, I realised I would love to play here for the rest of my life”. AB de Villiers, who scored 3755 runs at an average of 41.72 from 117 innings while playing for RCB, further added “I really enjoy the franchise, the vibe, the people. You create friendships you don’t want to leave. Then I started feeling that I actually want to play for RCB."
De Villiers' comments are eerily similar to the one made by Virat Kohli recently, who was asked on RCB's failures in an Instagram live chat with Kevin Pietersen.
De Villiers also claimed that the thought of playing for CSK never crossed his mind since it was only Delhi and RCB that bought him permanently. However, he admitted that CSK is a team which he enjoys playing the most due to the intensity of the rivalry and the quality that MS Dhoni's men bring to the competition.
The Proteas great announced his retirement from international cricket in 2018, 14 years after he made his senior debut for the South African national team. The unorthodox batsman cum wicket-keeper also plays for Barbados Tridents (Caribbean Premier League) and Brisbane Heat (Big Bash League).
KL Rahul names AB de Villiers as his childhood role model
I think it is got to be @ABdeVilliers17 https://t.co/tIZuSPos5A
— K L Rahul (@klrahul11) May 10, 2020
17:59 IST, May 15th 2020