'Game needs you back': Ravi Shastri's special message for AB de Villiers
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Indian head coach Ravi Shastri praised De Villers' batting against KKR and urged him to nd his retirement and return to play international cricket for South Africa.
De Villiers played a crucial role in Royal Challengers' victory against the Kolkata Knight Riders at Sharjah Cricket Stadium after smashing 73 runs off 33 balls (not out) on Monday. His blistering batting performance powered RCB to 194.
Indian head coach Ravi Shastri praised De Villers' batting against KKR and urged him to nd his retirement and return to play international cricket for South Africa.
He took to Twitter and wrote: "Now, that the penny has dropped. What one saw last night was unreal. And the feeling is the same waking up. @ABdeVilliers17, the game in these trying times or otherwise needs you back in the international arena and out of retirement. The game will be better off".
Now, that the penny has dropped. What one saw last night was unreal. And the feeling is the same waking up. @ABdeVilliers17, the game in these trying times or otherwise needs you back in the international arena and out of retirement. The game will be better off #RCBvKKR #IPL2020 pic.twitter.com/s9BG6MxiCv
— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) October 13, 2020
The South African announced his retirement from international cricket in May of 2018. The news came as a major hit to the Proteas side that they ended seventh in the 2019 ICC World Cup. However, De Villiers offered to come out of retirement to help the team before the 2019 World Cup. But the SA management including captain du Plessis and head coach Ottis Gibson had turned it down because they felt it would be unfair on those who had worked hard to make it to SA's World Cup squad.