"Hopefully, I too had a good influence on him"- AB de Villiers on Virat Kohli's change in demeanor
Former South African legendary batter AB de Villiers believes Virat Kohli's change in demeanor has been a gradual process. De Villiers and Kohli have been great friends for more than a decade now with their time together at the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
Whoever has followed Kohli over the years must have realized that the star batter has gotten a lot calmer over the years and De Villiers feels one of the main reasons for the same was his ability to pick right things from his teammates and others around him.
Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, here's what AB de Villiers had to say about the players who had a positive impact on Virat Kohli's career:
"I think everyone matures with age. As you grow, you learn a lot from experienced players and you realize that they're not just your opponents but calm and relaxed individuals. Virat is smart and he has picked things from some coaches as well as teammates. Mark Boucher had a crucial role to play at RCB when Virat was young and hopefully, I too had a good influence on him as a friend. He has found that right balance and I can't wait to see him in the World Cup doing special things for Team India."
AB de Villiers on Tilak Varma and Dewald Brevis' friendship
Just like Virat Kohli and Ab de Villiers, even youngsters Tilak Varma and Dewald Brevis have developed a great bond. The duo play together for the Mumbai Indians (MI) and have often been seen congratulating each other on their achievements.
With both having made their international debuts, De Villiers stressed the points that the youngsters need to be wary of if they want to be successful and stated:
"Tilak and Brevis get along really well and they are two talented players who are going to have huge careers in the future, if they look after their bodies, form and mind. They need to pick the brains the right way. You shouldn't listen to everything. Just the right things at the right time."
Both Tilak Varma and Dewald Brevis haven't been included in their respective country's World Cup 2023 squads.