AB de Villiers, the former Royal Challengers Bangalore great middle-order batter who announced his retirement from all forms of cricket last year, rejoined the Bengaluru-based Indian Premier League team on Thursday (November 3). The right-handed batsman, 38, arrived in Bengaluru on Thursday and confirmed his arrival on Twitter.
"Great to be back in Bangalore. Just checked in to the ITC Royal Gardenia for the first time in many years! So many great memories flowing back. Also been told this is my 25th time checking in here Tele is on and ready for the Pak/SA game. Go Proteas," he tweeted.
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The franchise's official Twitter handle confirmed that he has joined the franchise and shared a video of him checking out of the airport.
"Ladies & Gentlemen, the super human is here and he’s telling you why. Welcome home, @ABdeVilliers17"
They did not disclose in what capacity he has joined the franchise. He is expected to be the mentor for the Virat Kohli-led team in the forthcoming season of the cash-rich league, which is why he has joined the team's backroom staff to decide on player retention and prepare for the impending big auction.
AB de Villiers appeared in 184 IPL matches across 14 seasons, and the 2022 edition marked his first absence from the world's richest franchise cricket tournament. Despite the fact that AB de Villiers was unable to win any IPL titles with the RCB team, he remains extremely popular in the capital city of the southern state. He is one of the top batters in the IPL's history.
De Villiers scored 5162 runs in 170 innings across 184 matches, with an average of 39.70 and a strike rate of 151.68. The South African is the sixth highest run scorer in history, with three centuries and 40 fifties to his name.
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