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[Saba Sports News] AB de Villiers, a cricket legend, retired in 2021 after an 18-year career, becoming particularly famous in India for his performances in the IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). However, his IPL journey began with Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in 2008. After three seasons in Delhi, he moved to RCB, forming a celebrated partnership with Virat Kohli.
De Villiers recently shared the unexpected circumstances of his departure from Delhi. He was informed by Delhi officials of his retention for the 2011 IPL, only to be surprisingly released before the auction. This lack of clear communication was a stark contrast to his expectations.
“When I played in the 2010 season, I got called into the office and was told ‘you are going to get retained, young AB de Villiers’. I sat alongside David Warner in that meeting. It came as a huge surprise to me a week or two later when I realised I had been released. So the communication wasn’t great back in the day, that must be different these days but it’s not a nice feeling,” de Villiers said on his YouTube channel.
“You’re unsure of your career, at that time in 2010 I think I only played five games in that IPL season so a lot of doubts crept up in my mind. But I did have a very good international season. I kept playing good cricket and luckily for me the auction happened and I got picked up by RCB. That changed my life forever, so great memories with regards to that,” he added.
Reflecting on this period, de Villiers mentioned his uncertainty and doubts, especially after playing only five games in the 2010 IPL season. Despite this, he had a strong international season, which led to his successful auction to RCB in 2011 for INR 5 crore. This move transformed his career, as he played 11 seasons with RCB and delivered some of the league’s most unforgettable performances.