Former South African skipper AB de Villiers feels that the Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli has matured a lot with age playing with the experienced players in the Indian team and in the Indian Premier League respectively. The 34-year-old will be crucial for the team’s success in the ongoing Asia Cup 2023 and ODI World Cup in India.
AB de Villiers had some sweet memories of sharing the dressing room with Virat Kohli during his playing days in RCB, where he formed the core of the team’s batting unit along with the likes of Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli and has played some phenomenal partnerships for the Bangalore franchise in the Indian Premier League.
Speaking on his YouTube Channel, AB de Villiers feels that players usually mature with age learning from the senior players in the team, and believes that he too had a positive impact on him as a friend in the game and wants to see him special things for the India in the upcoming ODI World Cup.
“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 said.
Ab de Villiers played for RCB from 2011 to 2018 and became one of the most celebrated players in the league. With his incredible batting skills and ability to change the game in a matter of overs and played many memorable knocks alongside former Indian skipper Virat Kohli in the cash-rich league.
They Need To Pick The Brains The Right Way – Ab de Villiers
Speaking on the friendship of young Tilak Varma and Dewald Brevis, Ab de Villiers stressed the importance of Friendship between the players and reckons that these youngsters can pick each other brains going forward and lauded them as emerging talents in the world.
“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 their brains the right way. You shouldn’t listen to everything. Just the right things at the right time,” AB de Villiers added.
Earlier, Dewald Brevis was seen wishing his Mumbai Indians teammate his debut for the Indian team as the South African batter expressed his excitement for the debut of the Indian youngster, Similarly, Tilak Varma was seen visibly happy about Brevis’s debut for South Africa in the Australia T20 series in the home soil.