5 times AB de Villiers showed he is Virat Kohli's biggest fan
AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli share one of the best bromances in the sport. Their association through the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) gave birth to an iconic duo who are two peas in a pod, both on and off the field.
The South African being a senior figure to Kohli had a serious impact on the latter's career. The pair dominated during their time together at RCB before De Villiers announced his retirement in 2021.
The duo have always had each other's backs and have supported one another through thick and thin. Apart from the success and failures they shared together in the IPL, the duo have always kept an eye out for each other during their international campaigns as well.
De Villiers, in particular, has been vocal about Kohli's performances, especially since his retirement. His sheer excitement and pleasure at seeing the ace batter perform so well sometimes makes him seem like a regular member among countless fans.
On that note, here are five instances where de Villiers showed he is Kohli's biggest fan.
#1 AB de Villiers bows down to Virat Kohli's 'different' level
The former India skipper is enjoying a sensational run of form at the moment. He ended a three-year-long wait for an ODI hundred before going on to score three hundreds in his last four innings in the format.
He notched up the second-highest ODI score of his career in his most recent game against Sri Lanka. The unbeaten 166 off 110 deliveries during the third contest against Sri Lanka was a masterclass in itself that left even a legend like De Villiers absolutely floored.
Virat Kohli! Different level💪
The former Proteas International, who is currently in South Africa and is commentating on the ongoing SA20, could not help but put out a tweet praising his friend's latest exploits.
Ita called VERA level . Ask @imVkohli n he will tell you 😉
See you in @IPL twitter.com/ABdeVilliers17…
Dinesh Karthik, who shared the dressing room with both the legendary players for RCB in the IPL, also chimed in to celebrate the ace batter's record-breaking innings.
#2 Virat Kohli stepping down as India's Test captain
India's last tour of South Africa was a bitter pill to swallow for the visitors. The Men in Blue squandered a 1-0 lead in the three-match affair and the series defeat proved to be the final straw for Kohli as he went on to step down from the role.
Arguably one of the finest captains India have ever witnessed, the Delhi-born batter stood apart from the rest as he was able to transform the side into a threatening touring unit.
@imVkohli Well done, Virat! U most definitely raised the bar👏💪
The cricketing world was paralyzed in shock and messages poured in appreciating the fine work that the skipper did for the nation.
Among them was De Villiers, who credited his former teammate for changing the game. He came through like a true fan during the rough patch, standing tall even during times of peril.
#3 'Watch the ball'
Kohli was in a tricky phase of form at the beginning of 2021. In the final Test against England and the first T20I, he was dismissed for ducks and faced 13 deliveries. He was under a little pressure coming into the second T20I but did not let it get to him as he scored a breezy unbeaten 73 to level the series.
Following the contest, Kohli revealed that he had spoken with De Villiers prior to the contest, saying:
"I had a special chat with ABD (de Villiers) before the start of the game and he just told me to watch the ball. That’s exactly what I did."
Elaborating on the nature of the advice he gave his friend to get out of the slump, De Villiers said later on:
“I don’t want to say. It’s embarrassing. I think I mentioned four points. We spoke about couple of things away from the game and then also couple of technical things but it was very basic. Four points — see the ball, still head, allow the ball to come into your space, body language and attitude. And then we sort of elaborated around those four points."
The advice certainly worked for the series against England as he scored three fifties across the five-match affair.
#4 AB de Villiers felt something was brewing
A month-long break where Virat Kohli did not feature in India's tour of the Caribbean was vital and might be talked about as a major turning point in his career. The Delhi-born batter marked his return with a fifty against arch-rivals against Pakistan at the 2022 Asia Cup.
Against all odds, he ended his two-and-a-half year-long century drought with a hundred against Afghanistan in India's final Super 4 game. During the post-match presentation, he revealed that he received advice from everyone during the course of his lean patch.
When I spoke to him yesterday I knew something was brewing💪
Well played my friend
De Villiers congratulated his former teammate for getting the elusive 71st hundred and also claimed that he had a feeling based on the conversation they had on the eve of the game.
#5 Floored by the classic against Pakistan
Kohli played a knock for the ages at the T20 World Cup 2022 and once again came across as a barrier for Pakistan, who just had nothing in reply.
The former India skipper scored an unbeaten 82 off 53 deliveries to help India attain a last-gasp victory from an unattainable situation.
Virat, that was incredibly special my friend! The best of the best👏
The world was smitten by Kohli, who showed his genius, particularly towards the end of the contest, where he switched multiple gears at once.
Among the millions of wishes was one from one of Kohli's most-trusted pillars - De Villiers. The South African, too, was unquestionably beyond impressed with the way Kohli batted, addressing a tweet to him to convey his congratulations just like other fans did.
Is Virat Kohli-AB de Villiers the best pairing between an Indian and an overseas player?
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