AB de Villiers to return to Bangalore? Mr. 360 confirms his availability!
AB de Villiers (Image Source: BCCI/IPL)
AB De Villiers has been one of those names, who have revolutionized the game of cricket. He has been considered by many the greatest of his time. From his dynamic range of shots to his conduct on the field, he has been a fan favorite for all his antics.
ABD announced his retirement from all forms of cricket after the last season of the Indian T20 League. The 15th edition of the tournament has been the first time, the South African veteran is not a part of the cash-rich league since the inception of the tournament in 2008. Earlier Virat Kohli dropped hints that De Villiers might return to the Bangalore franchise in the next edition of the Indian T20 League. Now, the legend himself has confirmed the development.
In a conversation with VUSport, De Villiers said – “I’m delighted Virat has verified that. To be realistic, we have not yet made up our minds. I will undoubtedly attend the ITL next year. I’m not certain in what position I’ll be serving in but I’m looking forward to returning.”
“I heard a small bird tweeting about some sports in Bangalore. So, I’d like to go back to my second homeland, Chinnaswamy, and see a game in front of a packed house. I would love to return and I am looking forward to it,”- ABD added.
"I haven't decided yet but I will definitely be around the IPL next year but not sure in what capacity and I'm missing. There might be some games in my second home town in chinnaswamy Bangalore and I would love to return in IPL and I'm looking forward to it." – Ab De Villiers
— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) May 24, 2022
Notably, De Villiers started his ITL career with the Delhi team. Later Bangalore induced him into the team in 2011. From then till the end of his career, ABD was a part of the Bangalore camp. He played 156 matches for the franchise and scored 4.491 runs in them at an average of 41.20. Speaking of his overall ITL career, De Villiers played 170 innings in the tournament and has scored 5,162 runs in them at an average of 39.71 and a strike rate of 151.69. He has scored three centuries and 40 half-centuries over the years, and his highest score in the tournament is 133.
