AB de Villiers, with whom he shared a dressing room this season at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League, instructed India fast bowler Harshal Patel how to decrease the number of big overs he tends to have. On Saturday, De Villiers announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, just in time for the IPL 2021 season, in which Harshal set a new record for most wickets in a single season.

"AB has had a significant impact on my professional life. I've always been a quiet watcher of his actions "In a press conference following Saturday's match, Harshal stated.

"I had asked him how I could decrease my huge overs just before the IPL's UAE leg. In the IPL, I have given up as many as 30 runs in an over, and I wanted to avoid that. When the batsman hits me on my good deliveries, he advised me not to modify my strategy "Harshal stated.

"Because the batsman expects it, you must force the batsman to hit your good deliveries rather than changing it as soon as you are hit. That was something I carried with me throughout the IPL's UAE leg, and it will continue to be with me throughout my career."

Virat Kohli, De Villiers' longstanding RCB teammate and former captain, had previously paid respect to him. "You may be quite proud of what you've done and given to RCB, my brother, as the best footballer of our time and the most inspirational person I've ever known. Our friendship extends beyond the game and will continue to do so in the future. This breaks my heart, but I know you, as always, have made the greatest decision for yourself and your family. @ABdeVilliers17, I love you "Kohli stated.

AB de Villiers, who retires as one of the greatest players in the shortest format of the game, scored 9424 runs in 340 T20 matches while playing for franchises all over the world. After amassing 1672 runs in 78 T20Is, 9577 runs in 228 ODI matches, and 8765 runs in 114 Tests, he retired from international cricket in 2018.