IPL 2020 has been deferred till April 15. It is still not clear whether the league will be held or not due to coronavirus (COVID-19) fears. However, AB de Villiers is focused on helping RCB do well in the cash-rich Twenty20 league
Bengaluru: Former South African batsman AB de Villiers has said he is not thinking of coming out of international retirement and his focus at the moment is helping Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) “realise full potential” in IPL 2020.
The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been deferred till April 15 due to coronavirus fears. The cash-rich Twenty20 tournament was scheduled to start on March 29 in Mumbai.
Also read: BCCI defers IPL 2020 due to coronavirus
De Villiers, who shocked cricket world in 2018 with sudden retirement, will be in action for RCB in IPL 2020, if the tournament is held next month. He is not committing himself whether he will return to play in the ICC T20 World Cup later this year.
Fans want De Villiers to come out of retirement and help South Africa win the World Cup. Even team coach Mark Boucher said he would welcome him back to the squad.
“Let’s wait and see what happens. My focus is on the Indian Premier League at the moment, and helping Royal Challengers Bangalore realise our full potential. Then we will sit down and have a look at the rest of the year and see what is possible,” the right-hander told IANS news agency.
The Virat Kohli-led RCB have never won the IPL title. In the previous 12 editions they have reached the finals three times (2009, 2011, and 2016). Last year, they finished at the bottom (eighth) of the IPL points table. For the new season, they have a new coach in Simon Katich while Mike Hesson is director of cricket operations.
Talking about his retirement, De Villiers said he wanted to spend time with family and hence he decided to quit international cricket.
“Each player must consider his own circumstances and make his own decision. I reached a point where I wanted to see more of my wife and two young sons, and seek a reasonable balance between family and cricket. The mental and physical demands on the leading players are massive these days, but each player must decide what he can and can’t do,” he said.
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