AB de Villiers could join RCB ahead of IPL 2026: Report

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans were demanding to see the South African legend AB de Villiers for more time in the franchise colors in the Indian Premier League, as he guided South Africa to win the World Championship of Legends 2025 (WCL) trophy only a few months ago.

Villiers clearly said that at the age of 41, it is not possible for him to play in the IPL, which is around a 3-month-long league. But now, ahead of the new year, a report on RCB and AB de Villiers has emerged, which can cause joy for the franchise fans.

According to the latest updates, AB de Villiers is set to become the new batting coach of RCB. As of now, former India international Dinesh Karthik is the batting coach of RCB. So, if the reports and speculations are to be believed, then the IPL 2025 winning franchise can reshape their coaching setup. As of now, there is no strong confirmation about the possible change ahead of the 2026 season of the league (IPL 2026).

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AB de Villiers to make a comeback in RCB?

A few months ago, this year, the former South Africa keeper-batter said in an interview, "I think I'd rather just support; I'm a very good supporter. Yeah, the IPL is just a very long tournament. It's almost a three-month tournament. It is a really big commitment for someone at the age of 41. You can't compare me to Imran Tahir. I work a lot harder. I had a lot more hard work. I think throughout the years." 

AB de Villiers was one of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s most explosive and iconic batsmen in the Indian Premier League. Over his IPL career, he amassed over 5,100 runs in 184 matches at an overall average of about 39.7 and a phenomenal strike rate around 151-152, plus 3 centuries and 40 fifties, making him one of the most feared middle-order hitters in the league.