"Never say never" - AB de Villiers on chances of him becoming India's head coach in the future

Former South African skipper AB de Villiers recently stated that he looks forward to taking up coaching gigs in the near future. Although he clarified that he isn't one of the contenders to become Team India's next head coach, he refused to fully rule it out in the future.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has invited applications for the men's team's head coach role. The deadline to apply has been set as May 27, 2024. Current head coach Rahul Dravid is also eligible to re-apply.

De Villiers remarked that he would enjoy coaching a team and his experience could help many players. The 40-year-old suggested that while he wasn't considering coaching jobs at present, he might look for opportunities in the coming years.

Speaking to News18 Cricketnext, AB de Villiers said:

"I absolutely have no idea. I do think I’ll enjoy coaching. I think there’s certain elements I won’t enjoy as much, which I will have to learn. With time, anything is possible and I can think on my feet and learn as I move on.

"But I think there are elements of a coaching job that I’ll enjoy a lot. Things that I’ve learned over the years, the maturity that I’ve got now at the age of 40, looking back, a lot of things look a lot clearer when I look back at my career. So those kind of learnings could be valuable for some younger players, even some senior players.

"And I would love to work with some players and some teams in that regard. As a full-time head coach, that’s not something that comes to mind as of yet. It’s not something that really appeals to me now. But as I said, never say never. Down the line, things might change."

AB de Villiers announced his retirement from international cricket on May 23, 2018. He finished his career with 20,014 runs across formats.

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"They are definitely one of the main contenders to win the trophy" - AB de Villiers on Team India ahead of 2024 T20 World Cup

AB de Villiers also spoke about the top contenders to win the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup. He picked India as one of the favorites to clinch the trophy, pointing out how the IPL has helped the country identify several exciting white-ball stars.

The cricketer-turned-expert said:

"It must be boring, but I always mention India when it comes to that (World Cup predictions), especially the white-ball cricket, because of the IPL over the years. I just think there’s so much talent that’s come through. It doesn’t mean they’re going to win it, but they are definitely one of the main contenders to win the trophy."

India will open their 2024 T20 World Cup campaign with a clash against Ireland at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on June 5.