“Cocky and Arrogant” Ab de Villiers Describes His First Impression of Virat Kohli

Former RCB Star AB De Villiers describe his first impression of Virat Kohli when the duo met for the first time. He did not hesitate from calling Virat ‘Cocky and Arrogant’ when asked about their first meeting.

AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli share a great bond both on and off the field. They have been playing together for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2011. Their on-field partnership has been one of the most successful ones in the tournament’s history.

Off the field, they are good friends and have often been seen hanging out together. They share mutual respect and admiration for each other’s skills and abilities. Kohli has often spoken highly of de Villiers’ cricketing talent and has called him the best batsman in the world.

De Villiers, on the other hand, has also praised Kohli for his leadership skills and his ability to motivate the team. He has called Kohli a “natural leader” and a “genius” on the field.

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‘Cocky and Arrogant’ AB De Villiers on his first impression of Virat Kohli

During the early phase of Virat Kohli’s career, from former cricketers to fans, everyone saw Virat as an ‘arrogant’ person because of his aggressive style and foul language on the field.

During a conversation with Chris Gayle prior to the start of the IPL 2023 season, AB de Villiers confessed that he also perceived Kohli to be ‘cocky and arrogant’ when they first met.

In an episode of Bold Diaries, De Villiers candidly shared his first impression of Virat Kohli. However, the former South Africa captain acknowledged that his perception completely changed once he had the opportunity to get to know the ‘human side’ of Virat through closer interaction.

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“Oh my goodness…I have had this question before and I had given this answer before as well. I think he was quite cocky and arrogant when I met him the first time. With that hairstyle and he had bit of a strut going…yes flamboyant, absolutely.

AB De Villiers’ opinion about Virat Kohli changed…

“However, as I got to know him better and observed his performances on the field, my opinion of him transformed. Although I had always respected him as a cricketer, I had the chance to know him better as a person.”

“When I first met him, it appeared like he had a guard up around him, but that guard eventually lowered, and I had the opportunity to know him better. I never disliked him, but my initial impression was that he needed to be more grounded.” AB De Villiers said in the video, during a chat with Gayle.

De Villiers has cemented his legacy as a legendary player for RCB and one of the greatest players to have ever played in the IPL. Gayle, who also donned the RCB jersey for a long time, engaged in an open conversation with De Villiers, where they discussed various fascinating topics and shared untold stories from the past.