One of the most loved foreign players in the country, AB de Villiers has shared his experience of playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and establishing a connection with the fans. De Villiers, who had retired from international cricket in 2018, joined RCB in 2011 and enjoyed a successful career, scoring 4491 runs from 15 matches and was instrumental in the franchise reaching the playoffs five times.
The 37-year-old de Villiers was told about fans offering him apartments to live in. He had a cheeky reply to the offer, saying he needs a "big apartment" as his three kids "need a lot of room". He also said his connect with the franchise is a lot deeper than cricket, further adding that it couldn't have been possible with any other team.
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"I hope it's a big apartment because I have three kids now and we need a lot of room! My relationship with RCB goes a lot deeper than just playing cricket for them. And I don't think it would have been the same for any other franchise and that's what I hold dearest to my heart - it's the fans and the city itself," said de Villiers in the RCB podcast.
The South African batting great is the second all-time leading run-scorer for RCB, behind Virat Kohli. He also holds the record for the second and third highest individual scores in the IPL courtesy his knocks of 133 not out against Mumbai Indians in 2015 and 129* against Gujarat Lions in 2016.
{{/usCountry}}The South African batting great is the second all-time leading run-scorer for RCB, behind Virat Kohli. He also holds the record for the second and third highest individual scores in the IPL courtesy his knocks of 133 not out against Mumbai Indians in 2015 and 129* against Gujarat Lions in 2016.
{{/usCountry}}During his decade-long eventful stint with the Bangalore-based outfit, de Villiers has also linked with the places he's explored in the city. He was previously a part of Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) before the explosive right-hander shifted his base to Bangalore.
"I have always connected with the places I go to. It's a bit weird but I remember smells and visual stuff I see. The minute I get into Bangalore there's a certain freshness in the air, a certain something that I sort of connect with that feels familiar.
"And I would never pick that up in any (other city). I have thought about it long and hard - Mumbai, Delhi, if you put me in any other team I never would have had that kind of connection so that's one thing that I find special while playing for RCB," he further said.
Known for his 360-degree batting approach, de Villiers could be seen donning the coach's hat in the near future. He himself had hinted about his return to the RCB, saying that he intends to take up a mentoring role in the future.
"I still believe that I have a role to play in SA cricket and also over there in the IPL with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). I have no idea what will come next but I will take it one day at a time and see. I have been looking after and mentoring some youngsters with potential and ability for the last few years," he had recently told TimesLive.com.za.