Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers has explained why he chose not to return to the Indian Premier League (IPL), even though players like MS Dhoni are still playing. Speaking on a podcast with Shubhankar Mishra, de Villiers said the IPL is a long, three-month tournament, and it’s a big commitment at the age of 41.
"I'll be too nervous. I think I'll rather just support. I'm a very good supporter. The IPL is just very long and it is a three-month tournament. It's a really big commitment for someone at the age of 41," said De Villiers.
The 41-year-old joked, “You can’t compare me to Dhoni. I work a lot harder. I had a lot more hard work through the years. I'm just kidding,” before adding, “I'll take my hat to them. But we're all different. It depends. I gave it my best shot and I'm happy.” He said everyone is different, and he’s happy with the decision he made to retire, knowing he gave his best.
De Villiers recently played brilliantly in the World Championship of Legends 2025, scoring over 400 runs and helping South Africa Champions win the title. Despite fans hoping he might return to the IPL, the former RCB star made it clear he's happy staying on the sidelines.
AB De Villiers Admits Blunder That Strained Friendship With Virat Kohli For Several Months
South African maestro AB de Villiers has recently opened up about a difficult moment in his friendship with Virat Kohli. The former South African cricketer in an interview with cricket.com revealed that Kohli stopped talking to him for several months after de Villiers accidentally shared private information.
During the interview, de Villiers said that he had revealed the news of Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma expecting their second child before the couple made it public. He admitted that it was a mistake and something he regrets.
"I know we were in the same boat because we spoke about it. He's been in touch with me over the last six months. Thank goodness, because I did have a bit of a footfall not so long ago when they were expecting their second child. So I was very relieved when he started talking to me again," de Villiers said to cricket.com.
Kohli, who is known to be very private about his personal life, didn’t take it lightly. Thankfully, things eventually got better. De Villiers said he felt a huge sense of relief when Kohli finally started talking to him again. The two reunited during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s successful IPL 2025 campaign, where they celebrated the team’s maiden IPL title.
What was the incident which caused the fallout between AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli?
The incident occurred in 2024 when AB de Villiers accidentally revealed that Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma were expecting their second child before the couple had officially announced it to the public.
De Villiers mentioned this news during one of his live streams, not realizing that it hadn't been made public yet. Kohli, who is very protective of his personal and family life, was reportedly upset by this breach of privacy. As a result, he stopped speaking to de Villiers for several months. De Villiers later called it a “blunder” and expressed relief when Kohli finally resumed communication, especially during RCB’s IPL 2025 campaign.
This incident shows that even the closest friendships can face tough moments. But with understanding and time, they can heal and become even stronger.
