AB de Villiers speaks about the 2011 IPL auction

AB de Villiers in action

Speaking about the Indian Premier League, de Villiers wrote that he was surprised by the amount that was written next to his name in the 2011 Indian Premier League auction, where he was picked by the Royal Challengers Bangalore. He also wrote he hoped to play a few more seasons of the League.

“A few well-timed performances...may have increased my value, but whatever the reason, I was surprised and, frankly, a little embarrassed when the list of annual player salaries was published after the auction and USD 1.1 million appeared beside my name.

"The IPL will surely continue to grow and develop, leading the evolution of the game in many respects, and I hope to participate for a few more years...not least because, taking into account the size of the crowds, the noise and the atmosphere, the most inspiring place to play cricket is India," he added.

Humbled by reception at Wankhede: AB De Villiers

South African batting star AB de Villiers has said that he feels truly humbled by the cheers from the crowd receives when he walks out to bat at Indian venues.

Writing in his  autobiography,” AB: The Autobiography”, the 32-year-old middle-order batsman recollects the game at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai last October when the entire crowd was chanting his name as he walked out to bat, to the extent that the man couldn’t even hear his own words.

"It was probably the most humbling experience of my life walking out there in the final ODI against India at Wankhede Stadium (in 2015)," De Villiers said. "I walked out there to bat and the entire crowd was cheering 'AB! AB!' and chanting so loud that I could not even hear myself talk,” he wrote.

The right-hander added that he got a real awakening when he realized that the spectators at the venue were cheering for him very loudly, despite knowing the fact that he was in the opposition camp.

It was happening in the whole series, but then it hit me really hard that I was very far away from home and here the people were supporting me like I was their own.Yet I was playing against their own,” he added.