Shocking one and all, legendary South African cricketer AB de Villiers on Friday (November 19) announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. While the batter had earlier retired from international cricket, but he had continued to ply his trade in T20 Leagues across the globe.
De Villiers’ announcement means he has ended his association with his IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The decorated batter, who began his RCB career in 2011, enjoyed 10 seasons and had been a crucial part of 5 Playoff runs in his time.
In a statement released by RCB, the right-hander thanked the franchise’s outgoing franchise skipper Virat Kohli and the entire management for showing confidence in him.
“I have had a long and fruitful time playing for RCB. Eleven years have just whizzed by and leaving the boys is extremely bittersweet. Of course, arriving at this decision took a lot of time, but after a lot of contemplation, I’ve decided to hang up my boots and spend quality time with my family.
“I would like to thank the RCB management, my friend Virat Kohli, teammates, coaches, support staff, fans, and the entire RCB family for showing faith and supporting me all through these years. It has been a memorable journey with RCB. Have so many memories on the personal front to cherish for the lifetime. RCB will always be very close to me and my family and will continue to support this amazing team. I am a RCBian forever,” he said.
“I’m going to be an RCBian for life. Every single person in the RCB set-up has become family to me. People come & go, but the spirit & the love we have for each other at RCB will always remain. I’ve become half Indian now & I’m proud of that.” – @ABdeVilliers17 #ThankYouAB pic.twitter.com/5b6RUYfjDY
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) November 19, 2021
RCB Chairman Prathmesh Mishra lauded de Villiers and even called him one of the finest ambassadors of the game. “AB de Villiers has been among the best ambassadors of the game, and we are honoured to have him represent RCB in the IPL. His work ethics have been impeccable, which has not only rubbed off on the team, but has left a high benchmark for other youngsters to follow.
“AB has been a true leader, both on and off the field and we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for his tireless commitment in helping RCB establish itself as one of the premier franchises in the IPL. We wish AB all the best for his next innings in life. He will always be part of the RCB family,” Mishra said.
The Proteas cricketer has played 156 matches for RCB and scored 4,491 runs. He is the second all-time leading run-scorer behind his teammate Virat Kohli and holds the second and third-highest individual run total in RCB history with 133* against Mumbai Indians (in 2015) and 129* against Gujarat Lions (in 2016).
