AB de Villiers Predicts 'This' Team to Win IPL 2023
All the captains posing ahead of IPL 2023 [Twitter]
The Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) is in full swing as most teams have played two matches each, with some impressing and others struggling to find their footing. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), led by Faf du Plessis, started the season with an emphatic victory against Mumbai Indians.
Despite starting their IPL 2023 campaign on a terrific note, former RCB star AB de Villiers doesn’t believe that his team will win the coveted title this year. The legendary batsman has predicted that the Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans will win the tournament and defend their title.
During a recent interview with NDTV, de Villiers expressed his opinion regarding the possible winner of IPL 2023. He referred to his previous statement during the IPL auction, where he had predicted that the Gujarat Titans would go back-to-back, and despite his desire for RCB to win, he plans to stick to his initial prediction.
According to him, the Gujarat Titans have an exceptionally great team with adequate power and a well-balanced squad, which makes them strong contenders for the championship.
"Very difficult one. A long time ago, during the IPL auction, I had said that Gujarat Titans are going to go back-to-back. I am going to stick to that, even though I really want RCB to win. Since last year I have felt that they have a really great team, very well-balanced. They have enough power. Hopefully, RCB goes all the way," said de Villiers.
The former RCB batter further noted that Virat Kohli has appeared relaxed and happy during the current IPL season, after relinquishing his captaincy roles with the franchise and also with the national team. According to him, letting go of the captaincy role last season played a significant role in Kohli's relaxation.
While he acknowledges the Indian star's exceptional captaincy skills, he expressed how daunting it can be to lead both internationally and at the IPL for a prolonged period, where one hardly gets time to unwind with family or friends.
"I think letting the captaincy go last season played a big role in him relaxing. He was a fantastic captain but he did it for a long period of time both internationally and also at the IPL which can be daunting," added the erstwhile cricketer.
The 39-year-old reckoned that he feels Kohli's mantra for this season is to go out and have fun, keep smiling, and enjoy playing the game.
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