AB de Villiers has opened up about a hidden side of Delhi Daredevils. The South Africa legend called it a team filled with “poisonous characters”—those who made the atmosphere tough and unwelcoming. His revelations come nearly 15 years after he left the franchise. The batter, who later blossomed at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), played for Delhi during the first few years of the Indian Premier League.
De Villiers made the revelations in a straight-faced conversation with cricket.com.
“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 on that side.”
For him, it was a confusing blend of moments. But amid all the positives, there were elements that made the experience tough for him.
“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 were there, spending time with Glenn McGrath and Daniel Vettori. That's where we got close. 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, I wasn't backed as I would have liked to.”
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AB de Villiers’ journey from Delhi to Royal Challengers Bengaluru
De Villiers first entered the IPL in its inaugural edition in 2008. He scored just 95 runs in 6 matches during his debut season. But a year later, when the IPL was played in South Africa, his form blossomed. In 13 innings, the batter scored 465 runs at an average of 51.66. His rich form made him the team’s highest scorer and the third highest in the league.
Despite this strong show, the Delhi franchise chose not to retain him in 2010. He was released and soon RCB secured him in the auction.
“I enjoyed Shippy (Greg Shipperd) as the coach from New South Wales… 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 3 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.”
eventual move to Royal Challengers Bengaluru made him a superstar in the IPL. In 170 innings, he scored 5,162 runs at an average of 39.70, with 3 centuries and 40 fifties. His career strike rate stands at a remarkable 151.68.
