Former South Africa cricketer AB de Villiers was one of the biggest names in the Indian Premier League, but the long-time Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) announced his retirement from all forms of cricket ahead of the ongoing season. One of the most versatile batters, aptly nicknamed Mr 360, de Villiers was one of the most crucial player for RCB over the years, often rescuing them from difficult situations. Although RCB are in contention for a play-off spot this season, his absence has been felt by the team, especially in a few defeats where the batting let them down.
Former RCB skipper Virat Kohli, who has been with the franchise since the inaugural edition of the IPL, also shared a close bond with the South African maestro and their partnerships in the middle have become iconic for the team.
Speaking to 'Mr Nags', a character portrayed by content creator Danish Sait for the franchise, Kohli revealed he misses de Villiers and also dropped a hint on a possible return for de Villiers to RCB.
"I miss him a lot. I speak to him regularly, quite regularly. He keeps messaging me," Kohli said in the video.
"He was in the US recently watching golf. Augusta Masters is what I heard it was called. So he told me he was there experiencing it with his friends and family," he said.
"So we stay in touch and he's very keenly watching RCB and hopefully here next year in some capacity," Kohli said, with a wry smile.
After the video cut to a playback of him making the big statement and then went into throwback backstage videos of de Villiers with Mr Nags, Kohli asked with a chuckle: "Did I spill the beans?"
AB de Villiers joined RCB in 2011 and represented the franchise in 11 seasons. He helped them reach the final in 2011 and 2016, although the team never managed to go all the way.
This year, RCB are currently fourth on the IPL 2022 points table with 14 points from 12 matches.