South African legendary batter AB de Villiers recently made a candid revelation about his initial perception of Virat Kohli. He admitted that he didn't particularly like Kohli before they became teammates at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), stating their friendship blossomed only after this shared experience.
He's an absolute pain to play against: AB De Villiers on Virat Kohli
This revelation came shortly after Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday, May 12, bringing an end to an illustrious career that spanned almost 14 years, from his debut in 2011 to his final appearance in 2025.
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Elaborating on his initial feelings, AB de Villiers explained that his dislike for Kohli was rooted in their shared characteristics, most notably their intensely competitive spirits. He acknowledged that Kohli was a formidable opponent and a 'pain to play against' precisely because of the unmatched intensity he brought to every contest.
“Virat is like one of my cricketing brothers, someone I really grew fond of when I got to know him better. He's an absolute pain to play against, so before I knew him I didn't really like him a lot because he was so good and so competitive, very similar to me with that competitive nature,” De Villiers said in a video on ICC.
“We really like winning and we like to pull our weight within the team environment and if anything threatens that it usually brings out aggressive body language and one that will attack back and that's exactly what Virat was like playing against. Then I got to know him at RCB, I got to know him a lot better. We became family friends, became brothers and also became great partners at the wicket when we played together, really understood each other out there and I probably enjoyed every second of playing with him,” De Villiers added.,” he added.
In 2011, AB de Villiers linked up with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) after having spent a few seasons representing Delhi Daredevils, now known as Delhi Capitals in IPL. The former explosive batter went on to become a mainstay for RCB, dedicating eleven seasons to the franchise before announcing his retirement from the IPL following the 2021 edition. During their concurrent tenure with RCB, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers stitched a remarkable partnership that etched their names in IPL history. Their synergy on the field is evidenced by their record-breaking achievement of scoring the most runs as a pair in the league, amassing an astounding 3,123 runs across 76 matches. This incredible feat includes ten century partnerships which speaks volume of their exceptional understanding and chemistry at the crease.