Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, and AB De Villiers, these three stalwarts of the game have continued to be the biggest stars for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
The likes of De Villiers and Chris Gayle celebrating RCB’s maiden IPL title win with Virat Kohli earlier this year is something that will stay with the cricket fans forever. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who were always trolled for not winning an IPL trophy, finally ended the jinx and defeated Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings by 6 runs to win the title.
AB De Villiers Teases New Role With RCB
Former Proteas skipper AB De Villiers, who is also known as Mr. 360, played for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru from 2011 to 2021. De Villiers also played two finals (2011 and 2016) for the reigning champions. De Villiers bid goodbye to all forms of cricket in 2021 and he said that it will take a lot out of him to commit to a full-time role in league cricket.
However, the former RCB player also said that he might be associated with the Bengaluru-based franchise if they ever require his services in the near future. Royal Challengers Bengaluru and AB De Villiers have shared a very close bond over the years and he supported them from the stands during the summit clash of IPL 2026.
“I might be involved with the IPL again in the future in a different role, but committing to a full season in a professional capacity is really tricky. My heart is with RCB and always will be. So, if the franchise feels there’s a role for me (as a coach or mentor), when my time is right and ready, it will definitely be RCB,” said De Villiers while speaking to IANS.
Dissecting AB De Villiers’ Numbers In The IPL
Proteas legend De Villiers is one of the very few players who dominated every format of the game and his career stats speak for themselves. The Proteas star played 184 IPL games, scored 5,162 runs at an average of 39.71 and with a strike rate of 151.69. As far as his record for RCB goes, De Villiers smashed 4,522 runs from the 157 matches that he played for the franchise.