‘Hopefully there are few more years’ – AB de Villiers hints playing in upcoming IPL seasons

AB de Villiers has certainly aged like fine wine and only seems to get better with time. Arguably the best batsman to have stepped onto the cricket field, the South African dasher tormented many potent batting line-ups in his illustrious career and his record across formats is nothing but sensational. However, many expected him to slow down after he shockingly announced his retirement from international cricket in 2018.

Cricketers tend to lose their sheen if they don’t play regularly. However, as we all know, that didn’t happen with De Villiers as the Proteas star continued to torment bowlers in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The 37-year-old delivered consistently and took Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to numerous victories even after retirement. Fortunately for ABD fans, the right-handed batsman is planning to feature in IPL for few more years.

AB de Villiers recalls his cherished moments in RCB colours

Speaking on a live Instagram session, De Villiers recalled his gala time in the Indian Premier League. He also hinted at playing few more seasons. “Playing in the IPL, having broken one record or two, playing in front of the crowd, and realizing that my teammates are also in awe. I have the privilege of experiencing those moments once or twice, maybe three or four times,” De Villiers said in the live session.

Found the video. Hear carefully to what AB says in the last 6-7 seconds. Clearly hinting that he isn't planning to retire soon. 🤙✌ https://t.co/98oylqaKnw pic.twitter.com/zPCvC6wKHd

— Harsh (@ForeverKohli_) August 2, 2021

“At the IPL, for South Africa, it exceeded all expectations and hopefully there are few more years, ” he added. De Villiers’ statement sent fans in frenzy as they were delighted to know the talismanic cricketer’s plans. Meanwhile, the veteran cricketer will next be seen in action in the second half of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, which gets underway on September 19.

The remaining matches will take place in UAE and expectations are sky-high from the South African legend. After all, he enjoyed a sensational run in the first leg of the tournament. De Villiers mustered 207 runs in seven matches with his average and strike rate being over 50 and 160 respectively. Riding on his prowess, RCB won five of their first seven games and were third in the team standings at the time of season suspension.

Get all the latest cricket news & updates, cricket stats, T20 World Cup news & much more on CricTracker