'He was Cocky and Arrogant,' De Villiers Shares About an Unimpressive Meeting
Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers formed a close bond at RCB
South African cricketer AB de Villiers, who played alongside Indian cricket star Virat Kohli for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), has revealed his first impressions of Kohli were less than favorable.
The South African legend, who met Kohli for the first time in 2011, described him as "cocky and arrogant" and suggested that he needed to come "down to earth a bit."
De Villiers spoke about his initial thoughts on Kohli during a conversation with another former teammate at RCB, Chris Gayle. He revealed that he was not fond of Kohli at first, citing his flamboyant personality and hairstyle, as well as a "bit of a strut." The former Proteas skipper further added that he felt Kohli needed to "come down to earth a bit," while Gayle laughed in agreement.
“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,” said De Villiers in a video released on RCB’s YouTube channel.
However, De Villiers captain was quick to clarify that his relationship with Kohli improved over time as he got to know the man behind the persona.
The erstwhile batter went on to explain that he felt the Indian talisman had a "barrier" around him when they first met, but that the barrier eventually came down, allowing him to see Kohli for the person he truly was. The 39-year-old veteran also emphasized that he now has a lot of respect for the former Indian skipper, both as a cricketer and as a human being.
"But the minute I got to know him a bit better and watched him play I mean I've got as much respect for him but I got to know him better as a human being. I think he had a barrier around him when I met him the first time and that barrier opened up and I got to know the person. I didn't not like him but you know what I'm saying. He's a top person now but first impression was ufff...he's got to come down to earth a bit,” the legendary batter concluded.
It is pertinent to mention that Kohli and De Villiers formed a formidable T20 batting partnership during their time with RCB, regularly putting up century stands.
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