Apart from being one of the best batsmen of the current generation, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers are also close friends. The duo ever since brought together by Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL, have relished each other’s company. Kohli and de Villiers gave an account of their friendship in an Instagram live session recently. But the situation was not the same always. De Villiers in that same live session, revealed that he was sceptical about Kohli when he first met him.
“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,” said De Villiers recalling their first meeting.
De Villiers revealed that he had heard a lot about Kohli’s style and cricket but he wasn’t quite convinced in the first meeting.
“It’s a human thing to sort of put a bit of defense around you. I remember walking up that tunnel, I remember saying ‘Hi’ but the defenses were on like I don’t quite trust this guy yet, I’ve heard a lot about him, I’ve seen the hair, I’ve seen the style but I’m not convinced,” added de Villiers.
The South African, however, added that it did not take him long to know Kohli and get along with him. “But it didn’t take you long to get to know you better, to see the humane side in you. 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,” de Villiers said.
India captain Virat Kohli too recalled his first meeting with de Villiers but went to add 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.
