AB de Villiers has always held a special place in the world of cricket. He is respected across generations, admired by fans of rival teams, and valued by fellow players. The former South African captain earned the nickname “Mr. 360” for his ability to play shots to all parts of the ground. His career is known for amazing performances, smart batting, and an image built on humility and fair play.

However, during the ongoing SA20 league, de Villiers was caught in an unexpected off-field moment that quickly went viral. While watching the match between Pretoria Capitals and MI Cape Town from the stands, cameras showed him vaping alongside his wife. The clip was shown during the live broadcast and soon spread across social media, surprising many fans.

The incident happened in the eighth over when the camera turned towards the crowd. De Villiers was seen blowing out smoke and reaching for another puff before he realised he was on camera. His surprised reaction and quick move to avoid attention made the moment even bigger, leading to a wide discussion among cricket fans.

Watch the video here:

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Ab de villiers vaping 🤣👌🏻#Abdivilliers #SA20League #MICTvsPC pic.twitter.com/XVJTqAFiEy

— the velvet revival (@willieedynamite) January 12, 2026

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Cricket’s off-field surprises aren’t new

Cricket has seen such moments before. Even MS Dhoni, known as Captain Cool, was once seen smoking a hookah in Dubai. Former New Zealand batter and current England coach Brendon McCullum also faced attention for a smoking incident during a match. These moments show that cricketers also have off-field actions that often draw public interest.

Pretoria Capitals dominate on the field

While the vaping clip ruled social media, the match itself delivered strong on-field action. Batting first, Pretoria Capitals recovered well after early losses. Dewald Brevis gave quick momentum with a 19-ball 34, while Sherfane Rutherford played a key role with a powerful 53 off 27 balls. Their efforts helped the team post a competitive total of 185.

The bowlers then stepped up, led by Gideon Peters, who picked up three wickets for 32 runs. With good support from the rest of the attack, Pretoria Capitals bowled out MI Cape Town for 132 and secured a convincing 53-run win.

Although Pretoria’s strong performance sealed the result, it was AB de Villiers’ unexpected viral moment that grabbed the most attention. The incident ensured this SA20 clash will be remembered well beyond the final ball.

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.

Shubman Gill is walking like a cat on the hot tin roof for his struggling T20I record in the ongoing year. In the ongoing year, the right-handed batter has collected only 263 runs in 14 innings of the shortest format at an average of 23.91 and a strike rate of 142.93, with the best score of 47 that came against Pakistan during the Asia Cup 2025.

Gill is yet to celebrate a single half-century in the T20Is of the year, which will put pressure on the Indian management to drop him, especially to bring Sanju Samson into the eleven, as the latter could provide the wicket-keeping option along with opening the batting. But the former South Africa captain, AB de Villiers, doesn’t accept the idea.

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“Come on!! Do me a favor. Shubman Gill has failed just once or twice, and we are already talking about replacing him. We have to be patient. They need someone like him because they have so many aggressive batters in the Indian batting line-up.” De Villiers said in his YouTube video.

Ab de Villiers offers unique idea to play Shubman Gill in T20Is

There had been calls to bring Yashasvi Jaiswal into the T20I set-up. The left-handed batter, who has notched up 723 runs in 22 innings at an average of 36.15 and a strike rate of 164.31 with the help of five fifties and one century at the best score of 100, has earned success. And de Villiers isn’t denying it either.

Watch the video here: 

Ab Devilliers backs Shubman Gill :

Gill has failed just once or twice & we are already talking about replacing him we have to be patient, we need someone like him, ICT is already full of aggressive batsmen I would rather shift Gill at 3 & bring jaiswal as a opener pic.twitter.com/9V2NM05Muc

— Ironix (@ironix269) December 13, 2025

“Yes, Yashasvi Jaiswal is one of the best players I have ever seen to play the game. So, there is a spot for him. I wouldn’t put him for Gill. I will probably have Gill at three with Jaiswal opening the batting.” The former Protea batter noted.

If India does bring Jaiswal at the top and drop Gill at number three, then it will be against Tilak Verma, who has also done everything right to retain his place. India’s third encounter against the Rainbow Nation in the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala on December 14 could prove to be a do-or-die clash for Shubman Gill.  

SA20 announced a star-studded commentary panel on Tuesday, December 9, for the upcoming fourth edition of the league. The panel features some of the most popular voices in world cricket, including South African legends AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn, England’s World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan, and South Africa-born superstar Kevin Pietersen. Morgan, who played in the first season of SA20, is now a regular expert with Sky Sports and will bring a fresh voice to the fast-growing T20 league in the rainbow nation.

Steyn, who was part of Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s support staff, will now move to the commentary box. He will join his former teammate and global fan favourite AB de Villiers, the brand ambassador of the tournament. The South African lineup in the commentary team is also very strong, with JP Duminy, Ashwell Prince, Chris Morris, and Vernon Philander joining the group.

Along with them, several respected global commentators will also be part of the panel. This includes Mark Nicholas, Mpumelelo Mbangwa, Kass Naido, Natalie Germanos, Mark Butcher, Nikhil Uttamchandani, Lesego Pooe, Motshidisi Mohono, and Kriya Gangiah, who will all lend their voices behind the mic.

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AB de Villiers and Mark Butcher will again be among the stellar cast of @SuperSportTV commentary and presenting team for #BetwaySA20 Season 4 🎙️

Read more 🔗 https://t.co/C338vW72Gj

— Betway SA20 (@SA20_League) December 10, 2025

SA20 2025-26: Teams and Key Players Ahead of the Season

The 2025-26 edition of SA20 is set to kick off on Boxing Day, with defending champions MI Cape Town facing Durban’s Super Giants in the opening match at Newlands. MI Cape Town retained most of their core squad, except for Dewald Brevis and Delano Potgieter.

The Pretoria Capitals have rebuilt their team from scratch, signing players like Brevis, Keshav Maharaj, and Lungi Ngidi, while adding Andre Russell, Sherfan Rutherford, and Jordan Cox as part of their overseas lineup.

The Super Giants will have a new captain, Aiden Markram, along with star players Jos Buttler, Heinrich Klaasen, Noor Ahmad, and Sunil Narine in their squad. Johannesburg Super Kings strengthened their all-round options with Wiaan Mulder, while Paarl Royals added Sikandar Raza, Delano Potgieter, Kyle Verreynne, and Dan Lawrence to boost their batting depth.

The left-arm pacer of the Australian side, Mitchell Starc, has picked his three favorite and best players with whom he shared the dressing room. He made a special mention of the former national team captain, Ricky Ponting, with whom he was amazed to be part of the team, even for a small period.

Starc started with the former South Africa captain and the wicket-keeper batter, Ab de Villiers, who was part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) when Starc shared the dressing room for a couple of seasons. He reflected on sharing a good friendship with him.

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“I am going to start with AB de Villiers. Didn’t spend a lot of time, but I was there for a couple of years in IPL in the same team. Got to play a lot against him, but it was really fortunate to play a few seasons with him at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and built a friendship and relationship with him.” Starc expressed in a video that has gone viral on social media platforms.

Watch: Mitchell Starc picks Virat Kohli among his three best cricketers he has played with in his career

Starc has hit the headlines currently with his 10-wicket haul in the opening Ashes 2025/26 Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth, besides collecting six wickets in the second fixture at the Gabba in the day-night pink ball Test.

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“Number two is Steve Smith. I have spent almost the same period and most of the time with Steve, and I am very fortunate to play with him for most of the same teams. It’s lucky that I didn’t have to play any professional cricket against him because he is such an amazing player for Australia and any color he takes into. His cricket knowledge has been amazing.” Starc is addressed in the video.

“Number one will be Virat Kohli. The same few years when I was with Ab, the one right next door was Ab. To get to see his preparation and the way he dominated was cool. He is another player with whom I had so many battles over the years, and it was really cool to work with him for a couple of seasons.” The left-arm pacer of Australia concluded.

South Africa created history by defeating India 2–0 in the recently concluded Test series, producing dominant performances in Kolkata and Guwahati. With this clean sweep, the Proteas became only the third visiting team ever to whitewash India in a home Test series, a feat that instantly elevated the stature of captain Temba Bavuma.

The series win triggered massive praise across the cricketing world, but one of the most significant endorsements came from South African legend AB de Villiers. Speaking on his YouTube channel, De Villiers admitted he was initially unsure when Bavuma was appointed Test captain during a turbulent phase in South African cricket. However, he now believes Bavuma has exceeded every expectation.

De Villiers reflected on Bavuma’s leadership journey, recalling the period when critics questioned whether his soft-spoken manner and smaller physical frame would hold up in high-pressure situations. “Maybe it comes back to that old phrase, ‘You can’t judge a book by its cover’,” he said. Drawing a contrast with Graeme Smith’s imposing aura, De Villiers noted that Bavuma has carved out his own brand of leadership through composure, clarity, and tactical maturity.

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De Villiers says Bavuma’s calm leadership mirrors MS Dhoni’s iconic captaincy style

What stood out even more was De Villiers comparing Bavuma to the legendary MS Dhoni, a captain revered worldwide for his calm temperament. “Temba is very, very small. He’s a soft-spoken guy and hardly ever raises his voice,” De Villiers said. “It’s similar for MS Dhoni. He hardly ever spoke loudly, but when he did, people listened. Different captaincy styles can still be very successful.”

Bavuma’s record certainly backs the praise. He has won 11 of the 12 Tests he has captained and remains unbeaten in the role. Earlier this year, he also guided South Africa to their first-ever ICC title, lifting the World Test Championship trophy after defeating Australia at Lord’s.

His composed batting effort in the first Test in India, played under immense pressure on a tricky pitch, further strengthened his growing legacy. With a historic series win and an ICC title already under his belt, Bavuma’s rise as a transformative Test leader shows no signs of slowing down.

India’s jaw-dropping 0-2 series defeat against South Africa at home has seen their head coach, Gautam Gambhir, being criticized massively under intense scrutiny. This is the second time the home side had been blanked in a red-ball series under Gamhir, following their 0-3 series defeat against New Zealand at home.

Highlighting Ravichandran Ashwin’s YouTube channel, the former SA captain, Ab de Villiers, reckoned that emotions might be at the heart of their current coaching debate. He offered a layered view of the head coach’s balanced concern and perspective.

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“I don't know what GG is like when it comes to leadership. I've known him as an emotional player, and if that is the case in the change room, generally, an emotional coach is not a good thing to have. It's not to say he's that kind of a coach behind the scenes. There's no right and wrong. Some players feel comfortable with a former player, some with someone who's never played but has years of coaching experience.” De Villiers expressed in a YouTube video.

Ab Villiers reflects on Gautam Gambhir’s coach after 0-2 series defeat against South Africa

The remark instantly struck a chord in the cricketing world. Ashwin also shed light on how the players would need to apply themselves in the middle as the batters would be required to bat with the coach, who could only give them various suggestions.

“I absolutely loved playing under Gary Kirsten; he's a former player and similar to Gautam Gambhir. Some players find confidence with a former great being there — someone who inspires you to put in extra yards,” De Villiers noted in the video.

“We want to ask for responsibility. It’s easy, because in Indian cricket, you know it and I know it — there’s a lot to gain and a lot of money involved. So many people are ready to take the job, and there will always be people putting their hat in the ring. But the fact is, a coach cannot pick up the bat and go out to play. He can only do his job, talk to the players — that’s all.” Ashwin also addressed the video.

Indian T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav has made a heartfelt appeal to former South African star AB de Villiers for guidance on improving his batting balance between T20Is and ODIs. After leading India to victory at the 2025 Asia Cup, Suryakumar is currently involved in the T20I series against Australia but has admitted he has had difficulty making the transition from of his aggressive style across the two white-ball formats.

Speaking candidly about his batting challenges, Suryakumar shared his desire to connect with the Proteas legend to understand what worked for him during his career. “If I meet him soon, then I will like to ask him how he managed to balance his T20I and ODI game. I haven't been able to do so. I thought ODIs should be played like T20Is. I want to ask him what he did to be successful in both the formats,” said Suryakumar during an interview with journalist Vimal Kumar.

The Indian skipper added a sincere plea: “AB, if you are listening to this, please get in touch with me quickly because there are important three-four years lying ahead for me. I’m very keen on playing ODI cricket also. Please help me! I couldn’t balance T20Is and ODIs.”

Suryakumar Eyes Comeback in ODI Cricket

As of November 4, Suryakumar Yadav has played one Test, 37 ODIs, and 93 T20Is for India. While getting a spot in the Test team looks difficult, he still hopes to make a comeback in ODI cricket. The 35-year-old last played an ODI in the 2023 World Cup final, where India ended as runners-up

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In ODIs, he has an excellent strike rate of 105.02 but has only averaged 25.76, which isn't repeatable. With many talented players in India’s middle order, he will have to perform well in domestic matches to return to the national ODI team. His recent form has been mixed, he scored just 72 runs in six innings during the Asia Cup at a strike rate of 101.40. In the current T20I series against Australia, he started with a quick unbeaten 39, but managed only 25 runs in the next two games. The final two T20Is are scheduled for November 6 and 8, giving him another chance to rediscover his rhythm.

The former players, AB de Villiers, Sir Clive Lloyd, Matthew Hayden, and Harbhajan Singh, have endorsed the newly-launched format called Test Twenty, which is going to begin early next year.

It will be the fourth format after the ODIs, T20Is, and Test cricket in the sport, as the former, intended for the young players between the ages of 13 and 19, will see the teams playing four innings of twenty overs each.

The new cricket format, called Test Twenty, will be played in white shirts with the red ball and take place on a single day. Each side can take a four-over-long power play once in the entire game and can enforce the follow-on with a first-innings lead of 75 runs or more. A maximum of five bowlers may be used across the match, with one bowler able to bowl a maximum of eight overs.

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“We’ve combined Test cricket with T20 and fused them into a format that gives today’s generation what they crave, which is intensity with meaning. If you look around, there is not a single unifying platform to bring youth cricketers together. Every country has its own system, but you haven’t ever seen kids between 13 and 19 playing together as a part of a single franchise.” Gaurav Bahiravani, the architect of the format, expressed.

Cricket’s fourth format, Test Twenty, to be launched early in 2026

Lloyd, Hayden, de Villiers, and Harbhajan are members of the advisory panel. They felt that it would bring excitement among the youngsters to get into the innovative cricket format and improve their skills in the small form of the longest format.

“What excites me most is the real creative freedom that this format brings to the party. It lets players completely express themselves but also think differently and take the kind of risks that make cricket so beautiful. Beyond that, it also teaches balance. You need to have the ability to survive across two innings.”

The Test Twenty tournament will be held in India, although Bahiravani expressed the wish to take the league overseas in the following seasons. He also confirmed that even though only boys can participate in the first season, girls will be allowed to play from the second edition.