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Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) legendary batter AB de Villiers revealed that he asked former teammate Virat Kohli to keep his emotions a notch down for an Indian Premier League (IPL) season but he did not listen to him. Kohli is often seen celebrating in the most aggressive manner when a wicket falls. He does not shy away from sledging and getting under the skin of a player.
"We have had this conversation many times before. Why don't you try for a season and just get the emotion out of it, just to sort of relax a bit, ok? And I've told him before, and he said, it's not a bad idea, but it seems not to have worked out," said De Villiers ahead of IPL 2025 final.
However, De Villiers understands that aggression comes naturally to Kohli and it is his way of expressing that he cares about the game. He hopes to see him calm and composed on the field.
"He doesn't listen to me. So the thing is, I think it's a natural thing for him. He can't help but show that he cares and that's where it comes from. So, at the end of the day, it is one of his strengths. He's come to where he is in his career and in his life because of the person that he is, the fact that he wears his heart on his sleeve. I think I would like to see him as a more calm and composed player out there and I did speak to him about it, and I guess I was wrong," said the former South Africa captain.
Kohli's IPL 2025 numbers and record in final
Kohli is set to play in his fourth IPL final. He has played a vital role in helping Rajat Patidar-led RCB reach the final. Currently, he is their leading run-scorer. The opener has scored 614 runs from 14 innings, averaging over 58. He has scored eight half-centuries in the tournament, way ahead of any other batter. He has played the anchor role often and scored at a strike rate of 146.53.
Kohli has scored 96 runs from three IPL final innings at a strike rate of 128. In the last IPL final RCB played, he scored a half-century against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a losing cause.
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