‘I had said that Gujarat Titans are going to go back-to-back' - AB de Villiers picks Gujarat Titans ahead of Royal Challengers Bangalore as favourites to win IPL 2023

Even after a sensational win over Mumbai Indians (MI), AB de Villiers believes Gujarat Titans (GT), and not Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), are the favourites to lift IPL 2023. The legendary cricketer, however, clarified that he really wanted the Faf du Plessis-led side to win their maiden title in the competition, but he was not ready to change his prediction at that moment.

The 39-year-old also added that RCB had a very balanced squad and enough firepower to go the distance. 

“A long time ago, during the IPL auction, I had said that Gujarat Titans are going to go back-to-back. I am going to stick to that, even though I really want RCB to win. Since last year I have felt that they have a really great team, very well-balanced. They have enough power. Hopefully, RCB goes all the way,” AB de Villiers told NDTV when asked about the potential winner.

I think letting the captaincy go last season played a big role in Virat relaxing: de Villiers

Virat Kohli looked at his meticulous best in the opening game against MI. The 34-year-old smashed 82* runs off 49 deliveries and courtesy of his phenomenal innings, RCB defeated the Rohit Sharma-led side by eight wickets.

Speaking about Kohli’s performance, de Villiers stated that he had never seen Kohli laugh so much during interviews and believed that letting the captaincy go had played a huge role in him relaxing and playing well.

“I have not seen much change, everything is similar. The technique looks solid; he has got good balance at the crease. He is still that 'busy' player with a lot of energy at the wicket. I just feel, this season he has come in looking really fresh. I have seen some of his interviews where he is laughing more than ever.

Letting the captaincy go last season played a big role in him relaxing. He was a fantastic captain but he did it for a long period of time both internationally and also at the IPL which can be daunting. You never get time off to chill or spend with family or have a laugh with some friends. I think that is his mantra for this season, just to go out and have fun, keep smiling,” de Villiers was quoted as saying by NDTV.