Following Gavaskar's 'Kohli Will Miss IPL' remark, de Villiers offers a key hint over Virat's return

The India vs England series will be ending this week in Dharamshala, and this will be India’s last international match ahead of the T20 World Cup, which will start after the upcoming IPL 2024. Virat Kohli missed the IND vs ENG series citing personal reasons, and his return to competitive cricket is still a big worry for the fans, whether he will play for RCB or not. This comes after the birth of his second child, ‘Akaay’. 

Also Read: Dinesh Karthik to step down from IPL after 2024 season

Will Virat Kohli play in the IPL 2024? 

With fewer than 20 days before the thrilling cricket spectacle begins, the much awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 countdown is rapidly coming to a close. On March 22 in Chennai, MS Dhoni's powerful Chennai Super Kings will square off against the elite Royal Challengers Bangalore in what looks to be an exciting first match. There will be more excitement for the match because of the presence of notables like Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli on the pitch.

But there is one significant absence that is likely to occur throughout the IPL. The legendary star of Royal Challengers Bangalore, Virat Kohli, made headlines lately when he decided to withdraw from the current Test series against England, claiming reasons. Cricket enthusiasts have been speculating about this choice, with veteran player Sunil Gavaskar wondering if Kohli will attend the forthcoming IPL.

The RCB icon pulled out of the Indian Test team before the first match in Hyderabad, even though he was originally scheduled to play against England. The cricketer made headlines earlier this month when he and his wife Anushka Sharma excitedly announced the birth of their second kid. Fans are now anxiously awaiting word on Kohli's involvement in the present IPL season after this big development. Sunil Gavaskar was also curious whether Virat Kohli will play in the IPL or not, he said: 

“Kya woh khelenge... kuchh reason ke liye khel nahin rahe hain, shaayad ho sakta hai ke IPL ke liye bhi na khele(Will he play... He is not playing because of some reason, perhaps he may not play in IPL as well),”

Recent comments made by AB de Villiers, a pillar of the RCB and Kohli's longtime comrade, imply that Kohli could indeed make an appearance at the IPL. De Villiers responded slyly to questions on his attendance with his RCB teammates during the IPL:

 "Nothing confirmed yet. Virat Kohli has hinted that he might want me to come over just to spend a bit of time with him and some of the batter perhaps. Nothing confirmed yet. I think the call has got to come from Andy Flower, Faf and the team. But for now, I am just going to be in Mumbai for the first few weeks of the IPL. I am doing a bit of commentary so do watch our live streams. I will be back at the backend for the knockouts,"