EXCLUSIVE | There Were Lots Of Poisonous Characters In Delhi Daredevils: AB de Villiers

EXCLUSIVE | There Were Lots Of Poisonous Characters In Delhi Daredevils: AB de Villiers

The RCB legend opens up about his first three years in the IPL

Before becoming a Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) legend, AB de Villiers spent the early part of his Indian Premier League (IPL) career at Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). The South African superstar represented the franchise between 2008 and 2010, playing 28 matches across three seasons.

In an exclusive chat with Cricket.com, the 41-year-old made some explosive revelations about his time at Delhi, describing the franchise as being in "shambles" and filled with “poisonous characters,” despite boasting a star-studded line-up.

“I would hate to give you names. Burning people, you know. But Delhi Daredevils were in shambles. I mean, it was. There were lots of poisonous characters in that side,” the 41-year-old told Cricket.com.

“Lots of legends. So it's such a bittersweet moment for me because I speak… I remember it fondly. And some of the highlights of my life and career was there, spending time with the Glenn McGrath and Daniel Vettori. That's where we got close. But these guys were my heroes and I was so scared of them growing up.

“Like McGrath. I mean, I played against him in 2006 in a Test match and I could hardly breathe, literally, and never spoke a word to him. And then in the next minute, I'm sitting here in 2008 and he sits next to me and goes, I like the way you play. I'm like, what's going on there?

“So from those highs to also realising that there were some cancerous characters inside and no need to mention names, So it was a very bittersweet three years for me. Also wasn't backed as I would have liked to.

“I enjoyed Shippy (Greg Shipperd) as the coach from New South Wales, that coached there, and he backed me a little bit, but also I didn't perform as well as I wanted to, but I never felt like I was going to get more than three games, for instance. And for a youngster, it's a tough situation to be in.

“2009 was nice. I played almost the entire season there in South Africa, came back, I thought I was going to be the man. All of a sudden, not playing again. So it was really mixed feelings. Told I was going to be retained, and in the next minute, I see I'm in the auction. I didn't know what even happened. So weird things happened.”

That auction marked a turning point in his IPL journey, as he was picked up by RCB. What followed was a legendary stint - 156 matches, 4491 runs, an average of 41.2, a strike rate of 158.6, 37 fifties, and two centuries.

“I arrived at the RCB and immediately, the day I walked in there, I felt like these guys want me to play every game. I'm so surprised. They just went like, you're the man. You. You're going to grow here, you're going to be. Become a great player with us and you're part of the family. Done and dusted,” added ABD.

“Just whether they meant what they said or not, I felt I was backed. I felt part of a family. And obviously, Virat (Kohli) was there and he immediately grabbed me and said, the two of us are going to win games of cricket for this team.

“From a trust point of view, I felt I belonged and immediately fell in love with the fans, the people, the city, the young vibe, the atmosphere, the green gardens of Bengaluru. And they started loving me as well. So it was a two way street and it was history from there.”

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