“If Virat does that a bit more, India might have a very good chance in this World Cup” - AB de Villiers on Kohli 2.0

Former South Africa and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batter AB de Villiers has admitted that he often had to calm Virat Kohli down on the field because the latter was too intense as captain. He, however, added that the Indian run machine seems to have mellowed down in recent times, which augurs well for India’s 2023 World Cup campaign.

Kohli endured a barren stretch in international cricket during which he did not score a century in over 1000 days. He ended the drought with a three-figure score in the Asia Cup in September last year. Earlier, the 34-year-old took a short break from the game following a disastrous tour of England and came back with a changed personality.

During a Q&A session on his YouTube channel, De Villiers delved deep into Kohli’s intense personality and shared his thoughts on the new, relaxed version of the former Indian captain.

“He’s an incredible character, very intense on the cricket field. Throughout my whole IPL career, I have tried to calm him down. You can ask him; he’ll vouch for me. I’ve always tried to tell him, ‘Virat relax. It’s okay, everything is fine,’" he said.

"He so badly wants RCB to win, he would want to control every player on the field and make sure everyone is in the right place all the time, with every ball. You could see him get emotional on the field, which I absolutely love. He means good, he wants to win,” the former RCB star added.

De Villiers added that he is pleased with the mentoring role that Kohli has taken on in the Indian team lately. :

“Sometimes he needs to calm down and he’s been doing that of late. I am seen him really relaxed in taking on more of a senior role in the team and sort of doing the whole meditation kind of role. If Virat does that a bit more, India might have a very good chance in this World Cup to bring that trophy home,” the 39-year-old elaborated.

Kohli was recently seen in action during the tour of the West Indies, where he registered scores of 76 and 121 in the two-match Test series.

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“He teaches and coaches everyone” - De Villiers hails Virat Kohli

Shedding further light on Kohli as a person off the field, the former South African captain described the Indian cricketer as a wonderful human being who wants to help everyone.

“In the change room, Virat’s got a helping hand for every single person. He’s helped me before, he helps every youngster. He teaches and coaches everyone. He’s a wonderful human being off the field and always wants to help everyone,” De Villiers commented.

Kohli will next be part of the Asia Cup, which will be played in Sri Lanka and Pakistan from August 30 to September 17.