Former South African captain AB de Villiers has made a candid and surprising revelation about his time with the Delhi Daredevils (now known as the Delhi Capitals). In a recent interview with Cricket.com, the Indian Premier League (IPL) legend reflected on his early years in the tournament and how the franchise struggled internally despite boasting a star-studded line-up.
De Villiers, who played for Delhi from 2008 to 2010, stopped short of naming individuals but offered a rare glimpse into the dysfunction behind the scenes.
“I’d hate to give you names-burning people, you know-but the Delhi Daredevils were in shambles. There were a lot of poisonous characters in that team,” he said.
The squad, which featured cricketing heavyweights like Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan, Glenn McGrath, and Daniel Vettori, failed to meet expectations. Despite making the playoffs in the first two seasons, the team never quite clicked.
“There were lots of legends, which makes it a bittersweet memory for me. I still remember those times fondly. Some of the highlights of my life and career came during that stint-especially spending time with guys like Glenn McGrath and Daniel Vettori. These were my heroes growing up, and I was honestly a bit scared of them,” De Villiers added.
While his 2009 season in South Africa saw consistent performances, the following year brought frustration. A lack of playing time and clarity over his role led to disillusionment, ultimately prompting his departure from the franchise.
“2009 was nice. I played almost the entire season in South Africa, came back, and I thought I was going to be the man. Then, all of a sudden, I wasn’t playing again,” he recalled.
“It was mixed feelings. I was told I would be retained, and then the next minute, I saw myself in the auction. I didn’t even know what had happened. So many weird things went on.”
De Villiers eventually moved to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2011-a turning point in his IPL career. He immediately felt at home with his new team, which gave him the backing he had been missing.
“The day I walked into RCB, I felt like they wanted me to play every game. I was so surprised. They just went, ‘You’re the man. You’re going to grow here. You’re going to become a great player with us-you’re part of the family.’ Done and dusted.”
Though he retired from the IPL without winning the title as a player, De Villiers was in the stands when RCB finally clinched the trophy. He also celebrated a greater national triumph around the same time, watching South Africa defeat Australia to win the World Test Championship.
