"He is too nice sometimes" - AB de Villiers wants to see 'fighting spirit' in former RCB teammate Rajat Patidar ahead of potential India debut

Legendary South African batter AB de Villiers shared the dressing room with young uncapped Indian batter Rajat Patidar during their time at the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Patidar was on fire for RCB in the IPL 2022 season, scoring a hundred in the Eliminator as they went on to play in the Qualifier 2. While the Madhya Pradesh batter has the tools to succeed for India, De Villiers feels he needs to wear his heart on his sleeves and be more competitive.

Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, here's what AB de Villiers had to say about Rajat Patidar, who has been named in India's ODI squad against South Africa (21:26):

"He is a great player. I played with him for a few seasons at RCB but at that time he was young and now he has more experience under his belt. He is a solid personality with a solid technique.

"I want to see a fighting spirit in him. He is too nice sometimes, which might be his downfall. I think he has a bright future and it is great to see him rewarded for his performances in the domestic scene."

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AB de Villiers recalls one of his favorite knocks for RCB

AB de Villiers claims that his knock against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) back in IPL 2020 in Dubai was one of his best for the franchise. Scoring 55* off just 22 balls, De Villiers snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

From 35 runs needed off two overs, the South African superstar ensured his team got home with two balls to spare. On this, he stated (11:05):

"I think of a very nice chase against the Rajasthan Royals at the Dubai stadium and finishing off by hitting Jofra Archer for a six over cow (corner). One of my favorite innings because we were down and out in that game. I love it when we are down and out. Give me a challenge and it really gets me excited (smiles)."

De Villiers playing such a magical knock, despite having a retinal detachment in his right eye during his last two seasons, just shows how incredible a cricketer he was.