AB de Villiers Ready to Take Up Role as RCB Head Coach or Mentor in IPL

AB de Villiers has made it clear that while his playing days are behind him, he is ready to return to the IPL in a new avatar. The South African legend said he is open to taking up a coaching or mentoring role with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) if the franchise offers him a place in the support staff.

De Villiers ruled out any comeback as a player, explaining that he cannot commit to a full IPL season. But he admitted that his bond with RCB remains strong.

“I might be involved with the IPL in the future, but in a different role. The days of committing to a full season are over. My heart is with RCB, and if the franchise feels there is a role for me as a coach or mentor, I will definitely be with the team,” he told IANS.

De Villiers first played in the IPL for Delhi Daredevils from 2008 to 2010 before joining RCB in 2011. Over the next decade, he became the face of the franchise alongside Virat Kohli. For RCB, he featured in 157 matches, scoring 4,522 runs at an average of 41.10 and a strike rate of 158.33. His tally included 2 centuries and 37 fifties.

He also holds the record for the highest partnership in IPL history, an unbeaten 229-run stand with Kohli against Gujarat Lions in 2016. That season was also his best, as he piled up 687 runs in 16 matches.

Overall, de Villiers played 184 IPL games, scoring 5,162 runs at a strike rate of 151.68, with 3 centuries and 40 half-centuries. His ability to change matches single-handedly made him one of the most loved overseas players in the league.

In 2022, RCB honoured him by inducting him into the franchise’s Hall of Fame alongside Chris Gayle, sealing his legacy as a club icon.