IPL 2021: AB de Villiers a “Real Wicketkeeping Option”

Mike Hewson, Cricket Director of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has said that AB de Villiers will once again be the wicket-keeping option for the team in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL). RCB is set to play the IPL 2021 opener against Mumbai Indians on 9 April in Chennai. In a video posted on RCB’s official Twitter handle, Hewson said, AB de Villiers had given wicketkeeping gloves in some matches last year and is expected to do the same this year.

“We were happy with the fact that AB de Villiers loved wicketkeeping and he embraced it. He wanted to keep it going, he is a real option.

“Now we have some other wicketkeeping options that are fantastic. Mohammad Azharuddin is a natural athlete in gloves and on the field. We also have KS Bharat. He is a natural keeper (and) gives us different types of players.

He said, “We are not going to make a commitment to you guys about what we will do now. We are really happy with the choices that we have got and AB is definitely one of them.”

RCB’s training camp will begin on March 29 for the upcoming edition of the IPL. Hewson previously said that AB de Villiers would arrive on March 28.

He said, “We players have a chance to reach all the way by 1 April. Finn Allen will play in T20I in New Zealand on 1 April and after that he will come … ABD will come on 28th.”

Hewson said: “It’s a lot different than last year where we guys kept everyone together for a long time behind a period where people hadn’t trained or played.

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“So, this time it is different, we have picked the players playing international and domestic cricket here and there until a few days ago. So, we have to prepare a bit differently.”

The final of the 14th edition of the tournament will be played on May 30 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The playoffs will also be played at the same venue.