IPL 2022: AB de Villiers reveals DEEP-CONNECT with RCB – AB de Villiers might be a former Royal Challengers Bangalore player now but the former South Africa skipper continues to maintain a deep connection with the franchise and the city. ABD as he is fondly known by the fans says he loves the “smell of the city” that he doesn’t find anywhere else. Follow IPL 2022 Auction Live Updates on InsideSport.IN.
Not many foreign players have won RCB fans’ hearts like AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle did. For the South African, RCB fans will always have a special place. Before he decided to hang his boots for the last time, ABD was offered apartments, sites in Bengaluru while some fans even renamed a road after him in the city to celebrate his achievements.
IPL 2022: AB de Villiers reveals DEEP-CONNECT with RCB, says ‘Love everything about Bengaluru and RCB’
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IPL 2022: AB de Villiers reveals DEEP-CONNECT with RCB, says ‘Love everything about Bengaluru and RCB’
“My relationship with RCB goes a lot deeper than just playing cricket for them. I don’t think it would have been the same with any other team. That is what I hold dearest to my heart and the city itself. I always connect with the places I go. It’s weird but I love the smell of the city. Whenever I come here to Bangalore, there is certain something that I like. That is what I connect with,” AB de Villiers said on the RCB podcast.
Ahead of the IPL 2022 Auction, AB de Villiers announced his decision to retire from cricket. ABD played 156 matches for RCB, scoring 4,491 runs at an average of 41.20 including two centuries and 37 half-centuries. His partnership with Virat Kohli was something special that fans looked up to.
IPL 2022: AB de Villiers reveals DEEP-CONNECT with RCB, says ‘Love everything about Bengaluru and RCB’
RCB retained Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and Mohammed Siraj ahead of IPL 2022. But with Virat Kohli quitting the captaincy role, RCB will be desperate to find a captain. While Glenn Maxwell is touted to take the mantle, RCB will want to pick a player with captaincy credentials such as Shreyas Iyer, David Warner amongst only a few others.
RCB Retained Players List: Virat Kohli (15 Cr) and Glenn Maxwell (11 Cr) accepted pay cuts while Siraj has witnessed a price rise from Rs 2.6 crore to 7 Crore.
IPL 2022: AB de Villiers reveals DEEP-CONNECT with RCB, says ‘Love everything about Bengaluru and RCB’
Why Yuzvendra Chahal was not retained? According to the available information Chahal didn’t agree to be the No. 3 retention since he would have got only Rs 7 crore. Chahal felt that he can got more from the AUCTION POOL – this is the reason franchise decided to let go their most succesful spinner.
The other possible reason of Chahal getting released can be that RCB still don’t have a captain and need a strong auction purse to purchase a high-profile player.
Not only Chahal but RCB also released IPL Purple cap winner Harshal Patel & young opening batsman Devdutt Padikkal.
IPL 2022: AB de Villiers reveals DEEP-CONNECT with RCB, says ‘Love everything about Bengaluru and RCB’
One key stumbling block here was the low price tag for the fourth player – INR 6 crore – which is likely to have dissuaded the likes of Padikkal and Harshal, who would have preferred a higher price after consistent impact in the last season especially.
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