“No confirmation whatsoever, but I’m starting to feel it” - AB de Villiers’ massive statement on potential comeback

Former South African captain and batting legend AB de Villiers hinted at a potential comeback to cricket, over three years since his last competitive game. The 40-year-old retired from international cricket in 2018 but continued playing in the IPL. De Villiers finally called it quits from all forms of cricket after the 2021 IPL season.

The South African batter was one of the greatest all-format batters and a fan favorite worldwide. De Villiers' sudden retirement from international cricket in 2018, at only 34, sent shockwaves around the cricketing world.

In a recent interview with journalist Melinda Farrell, De Villiers spoke about a possible comeback [quoted by TOI]:

"I might still play cricket one day. No confirmation whatsoever, but I’m starting to feel it. My kids are putting me under a bit of pressure, and I feel like I could go to the nets with them. if I enjoy it, maybe I'll walk out and go and play a little bit of casual cricket somewhere again and not professional IPL stuff or SA tours."

He added:

"Who knows? But we'll see. I'm gonna try it again and see if this eye is still working. It's a bit blurry, but this (the right one) is the dominant one, and it's working fine. So I'm doing it for my kids and see if I can go out there and enjoy cricket again."

De Villiers finished with incredible numbers in international cricket, scoring over 20,000 runs with 47 centuries in 420 outings. He also achieved the remarkable feat of averaging over 50 in Tests and ODIs, while amassing over 8,000 and 9,000 runs, respectively.

"I don't want to feel that pressure again" - AB de Villiers

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De Villiers thrilled fans worldwide with his audacious strokeplay [Credit: Getty]

AB de Villiers stated that returning to the IPL or any competitive T20 league was out of the question and that the goal was only to play cricket for the fun of the sport.

His successes in international cricket aside, the champion batter also produced several magical moments in the IPL to become one of India's most beloved cricketers.

When asked if his former South African teammate Imran Tahir could serve as an inspiration for his comeback, De Villiers said:

"I'll maybe ask him to be in my team wherever I go. Just remember this: he's one of my favourite players. Nothing serious, though. We're not talking about RCB and big stuff. Yes, I don't want to feel that pressure again. That's the thing. So, wherever I go, I'll have a bit of fun."

Tahir continues to play at a high level even at 45, featuring in the ongoing SA20 for the Joburg Super Kings (JSK).

Meanwhile, De Villiers also led South Africa in 124 matches between 2012 and 2017.

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