AB de Villiers set for cricket return, to lead South Africa in World Championship of Legends
AB de Villiers is set to lead South Africa in the second edition of the World Championship of Legends. The 40-year-old announced his retirement in 2022 after complaining of losing his vision. However, he got better and is now ready to play cricket again.
Legendary cricketer AB de Villiers announced retirement after the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He later revealed the reason behind his sudden retirement, stating that his younger child accidentally kicked him in the eyes and he started to lose vision after that. Four years later, the former cricketer has recovered from the injury and is now set to feature in the second edition of the World Championship of Legends.
Reflecting on his return, the 40-year-old stated that he previously lost the urge to play the sport but playing with his sons in the garden has revived his spirit to return to the cricket field. Now, he is actively preparing himself?in the gym and announced himself for the World Championship of Legends, set to begin in July 2025.
“Four years ago, I retired from all cricket because I just didn’t feel the urge to play any more. Well, time has passed, and my young sons have started playing the game. We’ve been playing more and more often in the garden, and, well, it feels as though some kind of flame has been lit again. So I am heading back to the gym and the nets, and I’ll be ready for WCL in July,” de Villiers said.
Notably, de Villiers played 78 T20Is in his career, scoring 1672 runs at a strike rate of 135.16. He was known for his destructive batting, having amassed 9424 runs at a strike rate of 150.13 in T20 cricket overall. Meanwhile, he will also be leading South Africa Legends in the upcoming season. Jacques Kallis was at the helm of things in 2024. The squad also featured the likes of Herschelle Gibbs, Dale Steyn, and Imran Tahir among others.
“This is precisely why we launched the WCL – to bring back the legends we deeply miss. As a fan of AB de Villiers, I’m thrilled to see him return to the field. I’m sure cricket lovers in England and beyond will be delighted by his comeback,” Harshit Tomar, Founder and CEO of the World Championship of Legends said on the cricketer’s return.