In a surprising revelation, former South Africa cricket star AB de Villiers has hinted at the possibility of returning to the cricket field. However, fans of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be disappointed as De Villiers has explicitly ruled out a comeback to the IPL or professional cricket. The legendary batter, who retired from international cricket in 2018 and last played for RCB in the 2021 IPL season, shared his thoughts during a recent interaction.

No IPL, no RCB: AB de Villiers prefers a casual approach

De Villiers hinted at his possible return to casual cricket, influenced by his children’s encouragement. He mentioned feeling motivated to visit the nets with them and possibly playing informal matches for enjoyment while ruling out a return to professional cricket, including the IPL with RCB or international tours with South Africa.

“I might still play cricket one day. No confirmation whatsoever, but I’m starting to feel it. My kids are putting me under a bit of pressure, and I feel like I could go to the nets with them. if I enjoy it, maybe I’ll walk out and go and play a little bit of casual cricket somewhere again and not professional IPL stuff or SA tours,” De Villiers said in an interview with journalist Melinda Farrell as quoted by Times of India.

“We’re not talking about RCB”

When asked about similarities regarding his potential comeback with former teammate Imran Tahirwho plays franchise cricket post-retirement, De Villiers expressed admiration for his teammates and hinted at a casual partnership. He joked about including Tahir in his team, calling him one of his favourite players, but clarified that it was not serious.

The Proteas star emphasized avoiding the pressures of professional cricket, including RCB or international matches, and instead focusing on playing purely for fun.

“I’ll maybe ask him to be in my team wherever I go. Just remember this: he’s one of my favourite players. Nothing serious, though. We’re not talking about RCB and big stuff. Yes, I don’t want to feel that pressure again. That’s the thing. So, wherever I go, I’ll have a bit of fun,” he added.