Dear AB de Villiers,
It was in 2011 when RCB splurged Rs 5 crore which seemingly back then was a waste according to many. After a couple of failed seasons in the IPL, what was the point of getting a foreigner in the ranks whose fiascos were more predominant than their triumphs?
No one really knew but RCB’s management and the entire world when the season began. It was the opening match of the 2011 season and the Challengers were up against the mighty Tuskers. Chasing 162, they lost Kohli early and that opened up the doors of an infamous deja-vu. That is for the first time when ABD walked out in the middle in the RCB colours.
AB de Villiers got off to a slow start and as time passed by, you started bringing out one belter after the other. Your presence in the middle assured that the Challengers were home safe. The Challengers slumped down to their opening defeat of the season in the next game but you played another fine innings. That really was the start.
A modest South African coming to the ranks of a team that struggled and yet fought. You started becoming the beacon of hope for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. When it felt dark, you always carried the torch.
✅ Alien 👽
✅ Mr. 360 🔄
✅ Superhuman 🦸♂️
✅ Cricket genius 🧠
✅ All-time great 🐐Wishing everyone’s favourite and our first Hall of Famer, 𝗔𝗕 𝗗e Villiers, a very happy birthday 🥳#PlayBold #HappyBirthdayAB #ನಮ್ಮRCB #ABdeVilliers @ABdeVilliers17 pic.twitter.com/V1eyXFGo4p
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) February 17, 2024
From being a Spiderman across the ropes that would pluck rippers from mid-air to being the Kratos with the willow in your arm, you would slay bowlers and giants alike.
That smile on your face became an emblem of peace for our fans. The reliability and the onslaught that you bought with yourself, gave us succour in testing times.
Those titanic strikes that kept on sailing beyond the ropes and the continents, those brutal swings of your bat and the verdict of obliteration that you would pass against your oppositions with a broad smile on your face, that feeling of happiness which followed was downright contagious.
For RCB, you are still the face of aggression that would slam bowlers to the ropes with an unwavering smile. Even when the team seemed to wobble, you would be the calming hand in the midst of a storm.
RCB won’t see you again on the field for sure but then the memories that you have gifted them, it would always linger on. When the world said that you are done and IPL would just see a failed sensation, you showed it to the world that you were tailor-made for this role.
From a crazy cricket fan
