"You never say never.." AB de Villiers hints at returning to RCB franchise in the IPL

By Vikas Singh Derek

Vikas Singh Derek has a Master's in Journalism and has written more than 50,000 articles. He currently works as a cricket content writer at Khel Now.

Published at :August 25, 2025 at 4:45 PM

Modified at :August 25, 2025 at 4:45 PM

(Courtesy : Getty Images)

AB de Villiers represented RCB in the IPL from 2011 to 2021.

Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has expressed his desire to return to the Indian Premier League (IPL) in future as coach or mentor of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The 41-year-old retired from IPL after the 2021 season.

The right-handed batsman started his journey in the IPL with Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in the first three seasons till 2010. In IPL 2011, he was roped in by RCB. The franchise retained him in their squad till his retirement in 2021.

Notably, De Villiers was a crucial member of the side under Virat Kohli’s captaincy. He was part of the team when they finished as runners-up in the 2011 and 2016 seasons. The Proteas legend played 184 matches in the tournament, scoring 5162 runs at a strike rate of 151.69 with three tons and 40 fifties.

AB de Villiers RCB IPL 2016 — AB de Villiers. (Image Source: BCCI)

My heart is with RCB and always will be: AB de Villiers

While speaking to IANS, De Villiers said that he would like to return to the IPL as RCB’s coach and mentor in future.

“I might be involved with the IPL again in the future in a different role, but committing to a full season in a professional capacity is really tricky, and I believe those days are done”, he said.

“That said, you never say never. My heart is with RCB and always will be. So, if the franchise feels there’s a role for me (as a coach or mentor), when my time is right and ready, it will definitely be RCB,” he added.

Notably, De Villiers visited India during IPL 2025 to support RCB’s journey to the title. He attended IPL 2025 final, where RCB defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS) to win their maiden IPL title.

Meanwhile, De Villiers was last seen in action during the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025, playing for South Africa Champions, where he slammed three hundreds, including the final against Pakistan Champions to guide his side to the title.

When did AB de Villiers retire from IPL?

AB de Villiers retired from IPL after the 2021 season.

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Vikas Singh Derek

Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.