New Delhi . The friendship between Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, who played many memorable innings for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, has been much talked about in the cricket world. In the Indian Premier League, both the players played together for a long time and entertained the audience with their batting. The relationship between this pair, who hit fours and sixes on the field, was not limited to cricket, but with time a deep friendship also developed between the two. Now De Villiers has revealed his initial impression about Virat Kohli after seeing him for the first time.
During a conversation in a podcast, de Villiers was asked that when he saw Virat Kohli for the first time, what image he had about the Indian batsman. In response to this question, the former South African cricketer admitted that in the initial phase, he found Virat to be a player of somewhat arrogant and prideful nature.
However, he said this laughingly and made it clear that his statement should not be seen as a completely serious comment. De Villiers also said in the conversation that he feels that Virat Kohli may also agree with his initial impression. According to him, young Virat had a lot of confidence in his personality. At that time he was around 19, 20 or 21 years old and he seemed very confident about his game. The main context of de Villiers' comment was the same confidence seen in Virat's early career.
He explained that it is not easy for a young player to make his place at the top level. For this, it is important to have confidence in yourself along with talent. This trait was visible in Virat Kohli from an early age. However, sometimes a person's strong self-confidence may appear to others as arrogance or overconfidence. According to de Villiers, to understand Virat's personality, it is important to keep in mind his age at that time and the initial phase of his career.
Virat Kohli also attracted attention for his aggressive attitude and competitive mindset while establishing his identity in international cricket. His enthusiasm on the field, confidence in his abilities and his style of challenging his opponents have been an important part of his game. De Villiers' comment was also linked to this initial personality. While speaking about Virat, he indicated that the behavior seen in youth should not always be taken in a negative sense.
Referring to the change in Virat Kohli's personality over time, De Villiers said that with age the Indian batsman became more mature as a player and a person. According to him, in the initial years, Virat faced the challenge of proving himself. Because of this his behavior appeared more aggressive and sometimes overconfident. His style changed as his experience increased.
De Villiers and Kohli played together for Royal Challengers Bangalore for several seasons. During this time, both of them watched each other's game closely and made important contributions to the team. Their partnerships and mutual chemistry made both of them popular among cricket fans. This statement of De Villiers along with their friendship also brings out the initial personality of Virat and the changes that have come with time.