The IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore will be having a new skipper in the IPL 2022 as Virat Kohli has given up his captaincy but made it clear that he will be playing for RCB only in the IPL. However, RCB fans and the cricket lovers will certainly miss AB de Villiers who has decided to hang his boots from all formats of the game. The South African legend who is known for his 360 degree batting style has a strong connection with the Bangalore franchise and the city as well.
While speaking in the RCB podcast, AB de Villiers stated that his relationship with the Bangalore franchise is very deep and it is not just about playing cricket for it. He says that he is pretty sure things wouldn’t have been the same with any other franchise and what are closest to his heart are the fans and the city. He also reveals that many fans have also offered him an apartment to live but he has given them a cheeky reply by saying that he hopes the apartment is big, he needs lot of rooms as he has three kids.
AB de Villiers got associated with RCB from the year 2011, earlier he used to play for Delhi Capitals (earlier Delhi Daredevils) and he is the second all-time highest run scorer for the Bangalore franchise after the former skipper Virat Kohli. The former South African cricketer who got retired from the international cricket in the year 2018 also holds record for the second and third highest individual scores in the IPL. AB de Villiers scored 133* against Mumbai Indians in 2015 and in 2016, he scored 129* against Gujarat Lions.
ABD says that he always feels connected to the places that he visits and though it may sound a little strange, he remembers the smell and some of the stuff that he sees. He further adds that the moment he arrives in Bangalore, he feels freshness in the air and there is a connect which seems familiar to him. As per him, he would not have felt the same in any other city and this is something which makes him feel more special while playing for RCB.
Here is a video in this regard:
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 Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) February 1, 2022
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AB de Villiers has also hinted that he may be back in SA cricket and RCB as a mentor/coach and though he is not sure what will happen next yet he certainly hopes to guide and mentor the youngsters. He also adds that he has been mentoring some talented youngsters for past few years.
We hope to see AB de Villiers back in RCB soon in a new role, do you?