When asked about his first impressions of Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers didn’t hesitate to label him “cocky and arrogant.”
Virat Kohli, a misunderstood character for the majority of his career, changed things around in ways that few could have imagined. The hitter went on to become one of the best in the game’s history. However, many saw Kohli as a ‘arrogant’ individual during his early days as a cricketer, whether in international cricket or the Indian Premier League. AB de Villiers confessed to Chris Gayle ahead of the start of the IPL 2023 season that he, too, thought Kohli appeared ‘arrogant and cocky’ when they first met.
De Villiers was brutally honest about his first opinion of Kohli in an episode of Bold Diaries. However, the former South African captain acknowledged that his opinions changed after getting to know Virat ‘the human being’ up close and personal.
“Oh, my gosh…I’ve had this query before, and I’ve given this answer before. When I first encountered him, I remember him being quite cocky and arrogant. Yes, he was flamboyant, especially with that hairdo and strut.
“But the minute I got to know him a little better and watched him play, I mean, I still have a lot of respect for him, but I got to know him better as a person.” I believe he had a barrier around him when I first met him, and that barrier opened up as I came to know him. I didn’t dislike him, but you get what I mean. “He’s a top person now, but my first impression was ufff…he’s got to come down to earth a little bit,” De Villiers said in the video during a conversation with Gayle.
De Villiers will be remembered as an RCB legend and one of the best players to ever compete in the Indian Premier League. Gayle, who also wore the RCB jersey for a long time, had an open conversation with De Villiers in which the two discussed some intriguing subjects while telling unheard stories from the past.
