AB de Villiers Backs RCB for IPL Success
Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers has expressed strong support for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to secure consecutive titles in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Last year, RCB celebrated a significant victory, ending 18 years without a title by defeating Punjab Kings by just six runs in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Having played for RCB from 2011 to 2021, De Villiers noted that the team is no longer solely dependent on Virat Kohli. He emphasized that Kohli can now share the responsibility with a talented squad that includes several players capable of performing consistently.
“Virat can feel the change; he knows he doesn’t have to carry all the weight anymore,” de Villiers shared during a conversation on JioHotstar. He praised the team’s strong lineup, mentioning that many members are eager to win the trophy.
RCB has also strengthened its roster during the IPL auction by acquiring Venkatesh Iyer for Rs 7 crore and Mangesh Yadav for Rs 5.2 crore. They also added Jordan Cox for Rs 75 lakh and Jacob Duffy for Rs 2 crore, along with young talents Satvik Deswal, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra, and Kanishk Chouhan for Rs 30 lakh each.
De Villiers highlighted Kohli’s winning mindset, believing that RCB has the momentum to win multiple championships in a row. He recalled Kohli often saying in the locker room, “If we can win one, we can win two, three, or even more quickly.” De Villiers is confident that RCB is in a position to achieve this.
In an encouraging note, RCB’s women’s team recently clinched their second Women’s Premier League (WPL) title, creating high hopes for the men’s team to follow suit and defend their IPL title this season.
RCB will kick off their title defense on Saturday, March 28, against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, led by Ishan Kishan, at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
