(Image source: X.com)
[Saba Sports News] Former South Africa batter AB de Villiers disclosed the reason why he didn’t feature in the IPL and left the cash-rich league after the 2021 season. De Villiers, who garnered immense love from the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) fans, didn’t lead the team to a trophy win but won many hearts with his breathtaking knocks.
The 39-year-old de Villiers revealed the reason for his IPL retirement on his YouTube channel, saying, “I have thought about it before, but it’s not going to happen. I have made my call, and as I have done throughout my career, I have always tried to be loyal to fans and teams.”
“Secondly, when I make decisions, I was told from a very young age to be clear with what you decide and to stick to it,” said de Villiers.
Furthermore, he continued and put it on record that he had started to lose energy on the field, which was the primary reason for not making a comeback for RCB in the IPL.
“A lot of thinking went into it. The reason for that is in the last couple of seasons, I started finding myself losing a bit of energy on the field. There are a few reasons for that. I only played two or three months in a year. So, finding myself in the middle thinking I am not as good as I used to be, was a terrible thing. If I am not here to be the best in the world to change this game, it’s time for me to move on,” he concluded.
De Villiers played 184 IPL matches for the Delhi Daredevils (2008-2010) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (2011-2021). He scored 5162 runs with an average of 39.71 and a strike rate of 151.69. He played his last IPL match against Kolkata Knight Riders in October 2021 at Sharjah.