Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers has finally explained why he did not go back to the Indian Premier League (IPL), although fans compare his case with MS Dhoni, who continues to play for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the age of 43. During a cordial podcast conversation with Shubhankar Mishra, de Villiers explained how IPL is a long and exhausting tournament, particularly for an individual above 40. Being 41 years old, he believed that was the perfect time to serve the game instead of playing. Ab de Villiers said: "I will be too anxious. I think I'll just prefer to support. I'm a great supporter. The IPL is just too lengthy and it is a tournament of three months. It's a very big commitment for an individual at the age of 41. You cannot compare me with Dhoni. I put a lot more effort. I had much more hard work throughout the years. I'm joking. I'll give my hat to them. But we are all different. Depends. I gave my best and I'm content." Watch the video here: "Dont compare me with him i work a lot more harder" ðŸ˜pic.twitter.com/CyKsvHqPwU https://t.co/ndm3rpzFQ0 — Advit' (@Advitxvirat) August 3, 2025 Also Read | Watch: AB de Villiers at 41 Wins Game with Magical Fielding for SA Champions Still a Fan Favorite in 2025 Although he retired from cricket across all formats in November 2021, including IPL, AB de Villiers is still a fan favorite. He featured in 184 IPL games, amassed more than 5,000 runs, registered 3 centuries and 40 half-centuries, and was among RCB's most favorite players. Referring to a recent experience while at the World Championship of Legends (WCL) in Northampton, de Villiers indicated that he can still get the affection from RCB fans. Former RCBian said: "Everybody loves RCB. We used to have a ground called Northampton, County Cricket Club, and when I came, there were plenty of RCB fans. I picked up the chants straightaway. It was quite nice to hear that again. Clearly, RCB are IPL champions again, at last, for the first time, I am extremely glad to report that. It's lovely to hear the chants even here in the UK." Even in retirement, he demonstrated that he is still possessive of his skills. During WCL 2025, he smashed three centuries, the third one coming in the finals against Pakistan Champions, and ended up as the leading scorer, helping South Africa Champions win the title.