Former South Africa cricketer and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) player AB de Villiers has recalled his first impression of former India skipper and the current captain of the Indian Premier League (IPL) side RCB Virat Kohli.
While talking about his initial experience, de Villiers said that he felt Virat had “a bit of swagger going in” but the former South Africa wicketkeeper did not hold it against Kohli as he knew that a player would “need it at that point of age.”
de Villiers speaks
“We ran into each other few times before we properly met. I knew about him, he knew about me. I said it a few times that I thought he was a bit cocky when he was a youngster, so that was my initial impression. Even though I could see that he has got respect and the basics are in place, I felt like he has got a bit of swagger going in. So, I didn't hold it against him because you need it at that point of age. We had a really short discussion, I didn't give him any compliments or anything like that. But, I remember clearly at Wanderers when I got picked up by RCB, and it was nice discussion of looking forward to play together," said de Villiers while speaking on the RCB podcast.
"Once I got to Bangalore, we sort of the connection just kicked off straight away. Our proper friendship started when I started playing for RCB in 2011. That's probably when we started becoming good friends. I am kind of a guy where I don't really keep in touch but for some reason with Virat it just happens, so we stay in touch. It's easy as he is on telly (Television) the whole time when I am at home," the 37-year-old former cricketer added.
Common points
According to de Villiers, both of them have plenty of “basics in common.”
"We both have a lot of basics in common. The way we play the game is quite similar. He is fighter and I sort of relate to the way he plays the game and another fighter in the team, would have great," he added.
The former South Africa batter, de Villiers had announced his retirement from all formats of the game in November 2021.
