IPL 2020: 'AB de Villiers keeping wickets will be a topic of discussion,' says RCB head coach Simon Katich

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) head coach Simon Katich recently hinted at the possibility of AB de Villiers donning the gloves for the Virat Kohli-led side in IPL 2020.

During a media interaction earlier today, Katich spoke about how AB de Villiers will have a big role to play in the upcoming season, given the South African's experience of having played at the highest level.

"Obviously we've had a lot of discussions around the makeup of our team. AB has kept wickets in South Africa before so I'm sure that will be a topic for discussion. But what is the right balance in these conditions will also come into play. He's got a huge role to play for us, given the number of performances over the years for RCB and South Africa," Katich said about AB de Villiers.

In the IPL 2020 player auctions, RCB signed upcoming Australian wicket-keeper batsman Josh Philippe, who is one of the two regular wicket-keepers in the side after veteran Parthiv Patel.

Notably, AB de Villiers has kept wickets for RCB in the past, but in 2017, the South African superstar said that he was going to give up wicketkeeping to avoid injuries in an approach to prolong his career.

AB de Villiers' importance in the RCB line-up

AB de Villiers has been one of the most consistent performers for RCB over the years, having notched up important knocks that have helped the franchise pick up some memorable wins.

The 36-year-old recently took part in the 3TC Solidarity Cup in South Africa, where his 24-ball 61 helped the Eagles reign supreme. Katich further added that the momentum from that competition could bode well for RCB in IPL 2020.

"We know he's a world-class performer and he's had a fantastic tournament, where he led his team to a win in the 3TC competition. He's coming in confident on the back of that and I'm sure, knowing his love for his franchise and playing with the players at RCB, he's going to be excited by this prospect. We'll see what happens with his job behind the stumps and with the bat," Katich said.

After months of deliberation and delay, IPL 2020 is set to commence on September 19 in the United Arab Emirates. With every new season come a whole lot of expectations, and a lot of the RCB fans' hopes will be pinned on the form of AB de Villiers in order to see the Bengaluru-based franchise win their first IPL trophy.