WATCH: AB de Villiers teases potential return, rules out IPL comeback

Former South Africa skipper, AB de Villiers aka ABD, has recently hinted at a potential return to cricket, although in a casual capacity. The legendary batter, respected for his innovative batting and match-winning performances, retired from international cricket in 2018 and played his last professional match in the IPL in 2021. However, De Villiers revealed that the world might not have seen the last of him just yet.

The Pretoria-born is regarded as one of the finest batters of the era. With a career spanning 114 Tests, 228 ODIs, and 78 T20Is, de Villiers holds numerous records, including the fastest ODI fifty, century, and 150. His exploits in the IPL, particularly with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), saw him record 5162 runs in 184 matches.

After his retirement, Mr 360 has remained connected to cricket through commentary and his YouTube channel. Speaking with journalist Melinda Farrell on Running Between The Wickets show, de Villiers opened up about the possibility of returning to the game in a casual format. 

“I might still play cricket one day, no confirmation whatsoever. I’ll go out and play a bit of casual cricket somewhere. And not professional IPL stuff or SA tours. Who knows, but we’ll see. I’m going to try it again," said de Villiers in a conversation video posted by renowned journalist Melinda Farrell.

Nothing serious though, not talking RCB or some serious stuff. Who knows? But we'll see. I'm gonna try it again and see if this eye is still working. It's a bit blurry, but this (the right one) is the dominant one, and it's working fine. So I'm doing it for my kids and see if I can go out there and enjoy cricket again,” the 40-year-old said.

Check out AB de Villers' viral interview here:

Also Read: AB de Villiers on manner of Shreyas Iyer's captaincy announcement ahead of IPL 2025

I don't want to feel that pressure again: ABD

Furthermore, AB de Villiers expressed admiration for players like Imran Tahir, who continues to play competitive cricket at the age of 45. However, he mentioned that he is not talking about a return to RCB and the desire to rediscover cricket without the pressure of professional leagues. 

"I'll maybe ask him to be in my team wherever I go. Just remember this: he's one of my favourite players. Nothing serious, though. We're not talking about RCB and big stuff. Yes, I don't want to feel that pressure again. That's the thing. So, wherever I go, I'll have a bit of fun," he concluded.