'Virat Kohli was a bit cocky': AB de Villiers makes honest admission
As IPL 2026 approaches, AB de Villiers reflected on his early impressions of Virat Kohli. Initially put off by Kohli’s cockiness, De Villiers realised it mirrored his own competitive drive. Over time, mutual respect grew, and a chance encounter during a Test match laid the foundation for their legendary RCB partnership, turning initial tension into one of cricket’s most iconic bromances.
NEW DELHI: As the cricket world gears up for IPL 2026, one of the tournament’s most iconic "bromances" is back in the spotlight. AB de Villiers, the legendary South African batter and former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stalwart, has made a candid admission regarding his first impression of former captain Virat Kohli. While the duo eventually became the most feared batting pair in T20 history, De Villiers revealed that it wasn't exactly "friendship at first sight".
Speaking about their early encounters on Mbangwa Media YouTube channel , the man known as Mr. 360 confessed that Kohli’s initial demeanour rubbed him the wrong way. “I didn’t initially like him a lot, to be honest.
He was a bit cocky, you know, and I’ve told him that before. I’ve said it in many interviews. We sort of laugh at that now,” De Villiers remarked.
However, the Proteas legend was quick to clarify that this perceived arrogance was actually a mirror image of his own personality. “Why I say cocky is because I probably saw a similar kind of thing that I have in him; it’s that competitive drive," he added. "It’s that thing that you’re born with, that I don’t like losing, nothing is going to change that.