AB de Villiers Reflects On 'Poisonous Characters' During His 'Bittersweet' IPL Stint With Delhi Daredevils

AB de Villiers, one of the most iconic figures in IPL history, has opened up about his early years in the tournament, calling his time with the now-defunct Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) "bittersweet."

The South African batting maestro, who represented the Delhi franchise between 2008 and 2010, described the environment in the team as chaotic and riddled with "poisonous" individuals.

In a candid conversation with Cricket.com, de Villiers revealed how unsettling the team dynamics were during his time at Delhi. "I would hate to give you names. Burning people, you know. But the Delhi Daredevils were in shambles. I mean, it was. There were lots of poisonous characters in that side," he said.

Despite the troubled atmosphere, de Villiers acknowledged that sharing a dressing room with cricketing icons offered him moments to cherish. "Lots of legends. So it's such a bittersweet moment for me because I speak... I remember it fondly. And some of the highlights of my life and career was there, spending time with Glenn McGrath and Daniel Vettori," he reflected.

For de Villiers, being around the players he had idolised as a youngster was both intimidating and exhilarating. "These guys were my heroes and I was so scared of them growing up. Like McGrath. I mean, I played against him in 2006 in a Test match and I could hardly breathe, literally, and never spoke a word to him. And then in the next minute, I'm sitting here in 2008 and he sits next to me and goes, I like the way you play. I'm like, what's going on there?"

He also expressed disappointment over the lack of support he received. "So from those highs to also realising that there were some cancerous characters inside and no need to mention names, so it was a very bittersweet three years for me. Also, I wasn't backed as I would have liked to," he admitted.

de Villiers later moved to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2011, where he became an IPL icon. Fittingly, he was present to witness RCB clinch their maiden IPL trophy in 2025 in Ahmedabad.