The veteran batsman of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). AB de Villiers revealed that Virat Kohli tried to convince him not to retire from cricket before he retires from the game in 2021.Speaking on TOI Sports’ Bombay Sports Exchange Podcast, de Villiers said Kohli tried to change his mind, but he had already decided it was time to move on. “Yes. He tried,” de Villiers said when asked if Kohli tried to stop him.The South African all-rounder retired from international cricket in 2018 after helping his team beat India and Australia at home. He continued to play cricket, including for RCB in the Indian Premier League (IPL), before retiring from all forms of the game in 2021.“I left international cricket when I wanted to (2018). We beat India and Australia at home, and I left on top.”“Then I decided to continue playing a few T20 matches, traveling around the world with my family, going to the IPL, England for the Blast, Australia for the Big Bash and a few other games. When I felt I was ready, I called it a day (from the cricket franchise again, in 2021).De Villiers said that leaving the IPL was not a sudden decision and he had been thinking about it throughout his last season.“It took time. That thought stayed in my mind throughout the last season. After that, I just went to Virat and said, ‘I’m done’,” said de Villiers.De Villiers also spoke about the pressure of playing in front of a packed crowd at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where fans chanted his name.“This can also be confusing. These times also lead to sleepless nights. It’s not all sunshine and flowers. There are also difficult times. The expectations and the pressure you face sometimes can mess you up. I’ve spoken before. I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved. But before a big game, I often had trouble sleeping. I struggled to be tough enough to be with the team. So it wasn’t always easy,” De Villiers said on TOI Sports’ Bombay Sports Exchange Podcast.Reflecting on life after retirement, he said the euphoria of success doesn’t last long, even for great players.“Of course, I miss those moments. When everything went crazy and the crowd helped me get into that zone, it was an amazing feeling. But success disappears very quickly. Any winner will tell you the same. You win a big trophy, and an hour later you are already asking yourself, “Now what?” Then your attention immediately moves to the next trophy. You are not satisfied enough with what I have achieved, that I can remember.“
