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“We Played The…”: AB De Villiers Unveils What Made His Partnership With Virat Kohli Iconic

Poulomi Chakraborty

ABD On His Partnership With Kohli (Source: @CricCrazyJohns/x.com)ABD On His Partnership With Kohli (Source: @CricCrazyJohns/x.com)

The cricket world witnessed a lot of partnerships across the years, but very few have been turned out like Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. For 11 IPL seasons in RCB colours, the 'Biscottis' dismantled bowling attacks with the flair of cricket’s own Messi and Ronaldo.

As the duo created some incredible partnership records, the South African legend spilled the secret sauce of their on-field chemistry.

What Makes the Kohli-ABD Partnerships Truly Iconic?

As the game of cricket is already interesting, some exceptional partnerships make it even more special. Among all the partnerships, fans always cherish the on-field fiery bond between Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. Whenever the Indian maestro and the South African genius shared the crease, it was nothing short of a nightmare for opposition.

Before AB de Villiers bid farewell to the game, his iconic partnerships with Virat Kohli lit up the IPL, tearing apart bowling attacks season after season. The secret of the successful partnership is finally out. Speaking to the Beard Before Wicket Podcast, de Villiers revealed why he loved batting with Virat Kohli.

“We played the game in a similar way. We are very busy at the crease, run hard. Really look to get behind what the bowlers are trying to do, and find a way to attack the bowlers,” ABD said in the podcast.

AB de Villiers Opens Up On His Greatest Partnerships With Kohli

As the dominance of the duo is still irreplaceable, they stitched some of the most iconic partnerships of T20 cricket. Topping the list is their breathtaking 229-run stand against the Gujarat Lions in 2016, followed closely by a 215-run masterclass against the Mumbai Indians. Reflecting on their legacy, ABD picked these two knocks as the most unforgettable of their journey.

“There were two partnerships with him, one at the Wankhede and one at the Chinnaswamy, both were day games. Both of us were in our form of our lives. That always helps. I just love batting with him. He is very competitive like me, and we love taking the bowlers down,” he said.


“It was nice to have that experience with him in front of a loud crowd; it was incredible,” he added.

Even after AB de Villiers hung up his boots, from the IPL some of his best knocks in RCB colors are still fresh in fans’ memories. The legacy he carved in the IPL remains untouchable, a benchmark few can ever hope to reach.