After the conclusion of the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League, AB de Villiers left everyone heartbroken as he dropped a bomb by announcing his retirement from all the formats of the game. AB de Villiers ended his IPL career as the sixth-highest run-getter, amassing 5,162 runs in 184 matches at a whopping strike rate of 151.68.
AB de Villiers, who had joined Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2011 and enjoyed a successful career, scoring 4491 runs from 15 matches. He played an instrumental role in the franchise reaching the playoffs five times. AB de Villiers is hailed as one of the greatest of all time in tournament history and is one of the most loved cricketers in India.
Speaking on the latest podcast of RCB, AB de Villiers was told about his fans offering him apartments to live in. Reacting to the same, de Villiers came up with an epic response.
Responding to the offers from the fans, de Villiers came up with a cheeky response by saying that he needs a “big apartment” as his three kids “need a lot of room”. He also said that his connection with the franchise is a lot deeper than cricket. He said
“I hope it’s a big apartment because I have three kids now and we need a lot of room! My relationship with RCB goes a lot deeper than just playing cricket for them. And I don’t think it would have been the same for any other franchise and that’s what I hold dearest to my heart – it’s the fans and the city itself,”
AB de Villiers added, “I have always connected with the places I go to. It’s a bit weird but I remember smells and visual stuff I see. The minute I get into Bangalore there’s a certain freshness in the air, a certain something that I sort of connect with that feels familiar.
“And I would never pick that up in any (other city). I have thought about it long and hard – Mumbai, Delhi, if you put me in any other team I never would have had that kind of connection so that’s one thing that I find special while playing for RCB.”
The RCB Podcast powered by Kotak Mahindra Bank: Trailer
10 episodes, plenty of interesting and never heard before stories about the tournament that made them the superstars they are!
(1/n)#PlayBold #WeAreChallengers #TheRCBPodcast pic.twitter.com/MWPQG3IEwH— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) February 1, 2022
Earlier, in an interview, AB de Villiers also hinted at taking up a coaching role in the near future. He had said: “I still believe that I have a role to play in SA cricket and also over there in the IPL with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). I have no idea what will come next but I will take it one day at a time and see. I have been looking after and mentoring some youngsters with potential and ability for the last few years,”
