"Not going to happen" - AB De Villiers on possibility of him playing one more IPL season for RCB
Former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batter AB de Villiers has once again clarified that he is not going to return to the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a player.
De Villiers joined the Bangalore-based franchise in 2011 and remained an integral part of the RCB team till his retirement from the league after the 2021 edition. In his latest YouTube video (37:28), he spoke about how there wasn't any possibility of him reversing his retirement.
"I have thought about it before, but it's not going to happen," de Villiers said. "I have made my call, and as I have done throughout my career, I have always tried to be loyal to fans and teams."
"Secondly, when I make decisions, I was told from a very young age to be clear with what you decide and to stick to it," he continued. "A lot of thinking went into it. The reason for that is in the last couple of seasons, I started finding myself losing a bit of energy on the field."
"There are a few reasons for that. I only played two or three months in a year. So, finding myself in the middle thinking I am not as good as I used to be, was a terrible thing. If I am not here to be the best in the world to change this game, it's time for me to move on," AB de Villiers added.
AB de Villiers is the second-highest run-getter for RCB in the history of IPL, having chalked up 4522 runs in 145 innings at a strike rate of 158.33.
"I’ve not been in discussions with anyone whatsoever" - Ab De Villiers on being part of RCB's support staff for IPL 2024
Several reports have indicated that AB de Villiers could reunite with the RCB team, albeit in a coaching or mentoring role this time around.
De Villiers, however, has made it clear that while he is interested in taking up a coaching role with the Bangalore team in the near future, he isn't ready for it at the moment.
Speaking on his YouTube channel in August, he stated:
"I’ve not been in discussions with anyone whatsoever. The interest is there. I am just not ready yet, and that’s from my heart. I am an RCB boy. I am not ready to join in any team environment yet. I’ve recently retired. Even though it’s quite a long time now, but it’s still recent in my mind."
It is worth mentioning that RCB made a big change to their support staff after IPL 2023, naming Andy Flower as their new head coach.