The 9th season of Indian Premier League (IPL) gave bowlers the ‘real’ idea of the nightmares they would have faced had 2 of the greatest batsmen of the current era, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, played together in International cricket.
Though they were in the same team since the 4th edition, the real deal came up in IPL 9. The premiere batsmen toyed with the bowlers, adding hundreds of runs together.
They played for fun and their partnership on the pitch flourished. They added plenty of runs for the 2nd or 3rd wicket for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
While Kohli was probably in another league that season, finishing with 973 runs, AB de Villiers finished with 687 – a tally that would have seen finish with the orange cap on 6 of the previous 8 occasions.
While there’s no one unaware of the bond Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers share, it was not always the same. They were not really on the same page
AB De Villiers Didn’t Trust Kohli
AB de Villiers, during a live session on Instagram, said that he didn’t get the right vibes from Virat Kohli when he first met him in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“It’s an interesting story, it’s a very human thing to do when you hear about someone for a few years, I had heard a lot about you from Mark Boucher. I think you were 18-19 when you started playing for RCB and Boucher would tell me about you. I had known you for three years but had never met you,”
De Villiers.
“I remember walking up that tunnel, I remember saying ‘Hi’ but the defences were on like I don’t quite trust this guy.”
It Has Been Smooth Sailing Since
De Villiers, however, added that it did not take him long to know Kohli and get along with him.
He said “Luckily a lot of people have seen that humane side of yours because of what you’ve achieved. If that didn’t happen, I don’t think a lot of people would’ve got to enjoy the humane side of yours. That’s why we’ve got a lot of respect for you because of what you’ve achieved.”
Virat Kohli’s Version
Virat Kohli too recalled his first meeting with De Villiers and said that he had no idea that their friendship would go this strong even after years.
“I remember the first time we met it was in Johannesburg and we came down the tunnel, you guys were finishing practice and we were just starting ours. I said ‘hello we’re gonna be playing together,’ it was a brief chat. Who knew after 9 years we will be such good friends. It’s been wonderful to create a lot of memories with you,” said Kohli.
Growing Leaps And Bounds Every Day
However, de Villiers and Kohli have grown really close to each other now. In fact, they have grown so close that de Villiers once said – “We are neighbours. If it wasn’t for the mosquitoes here, we would’ve left our doors open and probably would’ve shared a big room”.
“I’m scared of saying anything to him now because. If I say like, “Oh, I like your shoes.” The next minute he organises me those shoes. I’m like, “Virat, just stop it”. He looks after everyone. I was like, “My phone is flat again.” “Oh, you need a power bank.”
Kohli’s Admiration For ABD
Kohli had taken to Instagram a few years ago to recollect one of the moments he shared with the superman.
Kohli praised the South African saying he considered the South African as a role model and an inspiration for everyone.
What Next For de Villiers And Kohli
de Villiers and Kohli were set to continue their partnership once again but that plan has been put on hold now because of the coronavirus pandemic. However, that has not stopped them from showing how big their hearts are.
The star Royal Challenger Bangalore players have put the kits they wore during their historic partnership against Gujarat Lions in 2016 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on auction in order to raise funds for fight against coronavirus pandemic.
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