“The heart deserves to speak when it’s full” - AB de Villiers’ emotional letter to RCB along with montage on IPL 2025 win [Watch]
Former South Africa and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) player AB de Villiers has shared an emotional message with the franchise and their fans following their historic triumph in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). Rajat Patidar’s side overcame Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings (PBKS) on June 3 in Ahmedabad to secure their maiden title.
On Wednesday, June 11, De Villiers shared a heartfelt message via video on Instagram. The 41-year-old noted in the caption that he wrote the message on June 4 en route to South Africa. The video displayed the letter, which he also read aloud, accompanied by visuals. AB de Villiers said:
“Dear RCB Family, last night was something words will never fully do justice to you. But I’ll try because the heart deserves to speak when it’s full. As I walked into the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the sun had already dipped below the skyline, but it felt like the red of RCB still lit up the horizon. A neutral venue, they said. But when I heard the roar, saw the jerseys, the flags, the faces painted with red and gold, I knew this was home.”
“Somehow, even in the West of India, it felt like we were back at the Chinnaswamy. What I witnessed was not just a cricket match but a culmination. A culmination of belief, heart breaks, near misses, miracles and an undying loyalty that no trophy until now had been able to reward. But last night, it happened. RCB, the team that became family to me, are champions of the IPL. Wow, it feels good to say that,” he added.
Fans can watch the complete three-minute and 48-second video here:
Rajat Patidar joined an elite group of captains — the late Shane Warne, Rohit Sharma, and Hardik Pandya — who all led their teams to an IPL title in their debut season as captain.
AB de Villiers scored 4,491 runs for RCB in 156 games during his IPL career
AB de Villiers began his IPL career with the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in the inaugural 2008 season and stayed with the franchise until 2010. In his three-season stint, he played 28 matches, scoring 671 runs at an average of 31.91 and a strike rate of 117.31, which included three fifties and a century.
He moved to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2011 and remained a mainstay of their lineup until he retired from professional cricket in 2021. For RCB, the dynamic middle-order batter featured in 156 matches, amassing 4,491 runs at an impressive average of 41.20 and a strike rate of 158.64, which included 37 half-centuries and two centuries.
Overall, AB de Villiers played 184 IPL matches, scoring 5,162 runs at an average of 39.70 and a strike rate of 151.68, with 40 fifties and three centuries to his name.