AB de Villiers Reflects on 2010 IPL Release by Delhi Daredevils; recalls the moment when RCB picked him

AB de Villiers has shared his surprise and disappointment at being released by Delhi Daredevils after the 2010 IPL season, despite having been informed earlier that he would be retained by the franchise. In a recent revelation on his YouTube channel, de Villiers expressed the challenges of uncertain communication during that period and the impact it had on his mindset.

Recalling the turn of events, de Villiers stated, “When I played in the 2010 season, I got called into the office and was told ‘you are going to get retained, young AB de Villiers’. It came as a huge surprise to me a week or two later when I realized I had been released. So the communication wasn’t great back in the day, that must be different these days, but it’s not a nice feeling.”

He highlighted the emotional turmoil caused by the uncertainty about his career, especially after playing only five games in the 2010 IPL season. Despite the setback, de Villiers continued to perform well in international cricket, and his fortunes changed during the auction when Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) picked him up.

Sharing the pivotal moment, de Villiers said, “But when it comes to the auction, you actually pick it up on Twitter as it was called in those days or X now. So you all know with the auction a lot of players will be keeping a close eye on the website, on the IPL T20 website, also on Twitter. That’s where I got the news that I would be picked up by RCB.”

De Villiers emphasized the nerve-wracking experience during the auction, noting that players, especially those released, will be anxiously monitoring the proceedings in the upcoming IPL auction. He encouraged the released players, stating, “It’s not the end of the road for them; they will just have a very interesting December where they’ll keep a close eye on that auction and they’ll have their phones in their hand all day hoping to get picked up.”

The 2024 IPL mini-auction is scheduled for December 19, and de Villiers’ reflections provide insights into the roller-coaster journey that players go through during such transitions in their IPL careers.

Note: This is a summarized version of the article. Refer to the original article for the complete information.

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