Kevin Pietersen reflects on out-of-form AB de Villiers in the UAE leg of IPL 2021

There is no doubt that AB de Villiers is one of the most skilful batters in modern-day cricket. His dextrous batting, incredible power-hitting, and innovative shots have made him a household name amongst fans across the globe.

However, the former South African skipper hasn’t been in the best form in the ongoing UAE leg of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) crisis man has managed scores of 0, 11, 14 and 4* in the four matches since the fourteenth season began in the Gulf nation.

Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has reflected on De Villiers’ poor run, stating the RCB stalwart would not want to see captain Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell make the bulk of scoring in every match as he has set high standards for himself.

“He is an established player; he is a senior player. He would not want to see Kohli or Maxwell score the runs he is scoring. He must be thinking, ‘I’m not holding my side of the bargain. This is just not the AB de Villiers that he is used to seeing,” Pietersen told Star Sports.

The cricketer-turned-commentator also mentioned that De Villiers would not lose his place from the playing XI even if he scores three ducks in a row because of his immense contribution to the franchise earlier.

“He is a proud player; he is a fabulous player. We have seen that over a number of years. From his point of view, he would like to contribute. He would be hating the fact that he hasn’t been able to contribute. He has contributed so much to the world of cricket and in the IPL. If he gets three ducks in a row, it doesn’t matter. What he has done for the IPL and RCB is incredible. However, he would want to score,” added Pietersen.

In the 11 matches of the season so far, ABD has scored 234 runs at an average of 33.42, but his overall numbers in the cash-rich league are just incredible. De Villiers has scored 5083 runs in 180 matches and is the only second overseas player after Australian star David Warner to cross the 5000-run benchmark.