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“You Can’t Compare Me To Dhoni”: AB de Villiers Jokingly Comments On CSK Legend

Rajgeeta Yadav

Ab de Villiers and MS Dhoni [Source: AFP]Ab de Villiers and MS Dhoni [Source: AFP]

Former South Africa cricketer AB de Villiers recently explained why he chose not to continue playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL), especially when people compare him to CSK legend MS Dhoni, who is still active in the tournament even at the age of 43.

In a light-hearted podcast chat with Shubhankar Mishra, de Villiers said the IPL is a long and demanding tournament, lasting almost three months. For someone in their 40s, that’s a big physical and mental commitment.  

AB de Villiers Proudly Reflects On his Cricket Journey

At 41, he felt it was the right time to step away and enjoy cricket from the sidelines instead of on the field.

"I'll be too nervous. I think I'll rather just support. I'm a very good supporter. The IPL is just very long and it is a three-month tournament. It's a really big commitment for someone at the age of 41. You can't compare me to Dhoni. I work a lot harder. I had a lot more hard work through the years. I'm just kidding. I'll take my hat to them. But we're all different. It depends. I gave it my best shot and I'm happy," de Villiers said.

Reflecting on his time during the World Championship of Legends (WCL) in Northampton, he shared a heartwarming moment:

"Everyone loves RCB. We had a ground called Northampton, County Cricket Club, and as I arrived, there were a lot of RCB fans. I immediately picked up the chants. It was very cool to hear that again. Obviously, RCB are the current champions of the IPL, finally, for the first time, I am very happy to say that. It's great to hear the chants even here in the United Kingdom."

AB de Villiers retired from all forms of cricket, including the IPL, in November 2021, ending his ten-year journey with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He played 184 IPL matches, scoring over 5,000 runs, including 3 centuries and 40 fifties, and was known for his explosive batting.

Interestingly, even after retirement, de Villiers proved he still has what it takes. He recently played in the WCL 2025, where he scored three centuries and finished as the tournament’s top scorer, helping South Africa Champions win the title.