‘The team was in shambles; there were poisonous characters’: AB de Villiers slams former IPL teammates

South African cricketing legend AB de Villiers is renowned for his stellar performances with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, before becoming a fan favourite in Bengaluru, de Villiers began his IPL journey with the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in the league's inaugural season in 2008.

In a recent candid conversation with Cricket.com, the former South Africa captain opened up about his underwhelming spell at Delhi, attributing it to a toxic team environment. Without naming individuals, de Villiers revealed that the squad was marred by disruptive elements that hampered team cohesion.

“There were lots of poisonous characters in that side,” de Villiers stated. “It’s a bittersweet memory for me. On one hand, I shared a dressing room with legends like Glenn McGrath and Daniel Vettori, which was an incredible experience. But on the other, there were individuals who really disrupted the atmosphere.”

De Villiers described his time with cricketing greats as surreal, particularly recalling how intimidating it was to be around McGrath, having faced him in international cricket just two years prior.

“I was terrified of McGrath growing up. I barely spoke a word when I first played against him in 2006. And then suddenly in 2008, he’s sitting next to me saying he likes the way I play. It was surreal,” he recounted.

Despite the challenges, de Villiers cherishes the fond memories of those early IPL years, even as he acknowledges the difficulties that overshadowed his time with the Delhi franchise. (With inputs from Agencies)