AB de Villiers returns to T20 franchise cricket four years after last competitive match

AB de Villiers is gearing up to return to competitive cricket four years after his last game in the shortest format. The former Proteas star batter announced that he will be playing the 2025 edition of the World Championship of Legends (WCL), where he’ll be playing for the South African team. 

WCL is a league involving former international cricketers. It has a global format, with teams from different nations competing against each other.

It’s notable that De Villiers announced his international retirement way back in 2018 and then continued to play in the IPL till 2021 after which he left T20 franchise cricket as well. However, four years later, ‘the flame has been lit again’ for one of the most enterprising batters to play the game. 

“Four years ago, I retired from all cricket because I just didn’t feel the urge to play anymore,” de Villiers said.  

“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.”

Harshit Tomar, the league's founder, also expressed his excitement about welcoming the Proteas legend to the league. 

“This is precisely why we launched the WCL – to bring back the legends we deeply miss,” Tomar said. 

“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.”

The 40-year-old De Villiers retired from international cricket after playing 114 Tests, 228 ODIs and 78 T20Is in a career from 2004 to 2018.