'Flame Has Been Lit Again': AB de Villiers To Return To Cricket, 4 Years After His Last Competitive Match

Former South African captain AB de Villiers has expressed his urge to return back to the sport, having last played a competitive match during the Indian Premier League edition of 2021. The right-handed batter has revealed that he will play in the 2025 edition of the World Championship of Legends (WCL), representing South Africa.

Although De Villiers retired from international cricket in May 2018, he continued to play in the cash-rich league until 2021. One of the most enterprising cricketers to play across formats, the keeper-batter featured in 114 Tests, 228 ODIs and 78 T20Is from 2004 to 2018.

In an official statement issued by the 40-year-old, as quoted by Sports Tak, De Villiers said his reason for retirement four years ago was the urge to not play anymore

"Four years ago, I retired from all cricket because I just didn’t feel the urge to play anymore. 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."

World Championship of Legends owner excited to see AB de Villiers return to the sport

Harshit Tomar, who happens to be the founder of the tournament, remains optimistic that cricket-lovers in England will love to see De Villiers in action and stated:

"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," Tomar said in the aforementioned statement

Published on: Tuesday, January 28, 2025, 01:39 PM IST