Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers, popularly known as Mr 360 Degree in the cricket world, is set to make a comeback in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. De Villiers has confirmed that he will return to the franchise for next year, i.e. IPL 2023. De Villiers, who retired from all forms of cricket a few months ago, did not take part in IPL 2022, in which RCB will play their qualifying game on Wednesday.
AB de Villiers in a conversation with VUSport said: “I will definitely return to IPL next year. I would love to return to my second home. I will return to RCB next year, I miss it, I don’t know how to go back, but I would like to visit my second home, Chinnaswamy Stadium. I’m looking forward to it. A few days ago he was inducted into the RCB Hall of Fame along with West Indies’ Chris Gayle.
Regarded as one of the greatest cue ball cricketers of all time with 9,577 runs in 228 One Day Internationals, de Villiers became the first South African batsman to score a double century in the Tests in April 2008, scoring 217 against India. .
De Villiers, one of the most explosive batsmen in ODI, scored the fastest half-century and fastest century by a batsman on 16-ball and 31-ball respectively in January 2018. He joined Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first season in 2008 and ranks sixth on the IPL run scoring list, with 5,162 runs in 170 innings at an average of 38.70 and a strike rate of 151.68.