South Africa superstar batsman AB de Villiers says he is open to a return to international cricket at this year’s T20 World Cup in India and will discuss his future with national coach Mark Boucher during the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The 37-year-old retired from international cricket in 2018 but said in April last year he would consider a comeback at the T20 World Cup if it was delayed by a year to 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
And after smashing 76 off 34 deliveries for Royal Challengers Bangalore in Sunday’s 38-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders, De Villiers says: “We’re lined up to have a chat sometime during the IPL. But yes, we’ve been talking about it already.
“Last year, he [Boucher] asked me if I would be interested. I said, ‘absolutely’. And come the end of the IPL, we’ll have a look at where we’re at with regards to my form and my fitness.
“Also, the situation with his team – he’s got to look at his guys who have been performing well ... If there’s no space for me, so be it.
“If I can slot in there, it’ll be fantastic if all those things fall in place.”
De Villiers has played 78 T20I games for the Proteas, scoring 1 672 runs at an average of 26.12 and strike rate of 135.16.
Shrivathsa Sridhar | [email protected]