AB de Villiers retired from all formats of cricket on November 19, 2021, but the South African GOAT batter remains one of those global superstars whose name continues to rule the hearts of fans even after retirement. The reason behind his everlasting popularity is his strong connection with both international cricket and his IPL team, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Even after retirement, de Villiers continues to show his bond with the franchise and recently displayed the same connection through an Instagram story, where he even joked about his own retirement.
AB de Villiers Takes a Funny Dig at His Retirement
AB de Villiers’ recent Instagram stories clearly showed that the South African GOAT batter is currently enjoying his time in Rome. During this period, he had a surprise meeting with a fan on the streets.
Sharing this special moment through his Instagram story, de Villiers revealed that the conversation soon turned towards RCB’s second IPL trophy win. Shortly after, the former RCB player shared another story with a laughing emoji, giving a humorous twist to the ongoing discussions about his retirement.
De Villiers wrote, “When you discuss RCB’s 2nd trophy in the streets of Rome.”
“And 5min later you discuss the first trophy and also explain why I’m not playing anymore,” the ex-RCB player added in his last story.
The stories also revealed that these were fans from cricket-playing nations who accidentally spotted AB de Villiers in Rome. As everyone knows, even after retirement, de Villiers remains such a global icon that fans across the world instantly recognise him wherever he goes.
Although AB de Villiers is no longer playing cricket, his connection with RCB remains extremely strong. This bond was once again visible when he arrived at the IPL 2026 final to support Virat Kohli and the team. He also celebrated and congratulated the RCB Women’s team after their title victory, proving that his association with the franchise goes far beyond just playing days.