Virat Kohli sent shockwaves through the cricketing world on Monday, May 12, when he announced his retirement from Test cricket via Instagram. For a generation of fans, the idea of Kohli never donning the whites again is difficult to digest. A titan of the red-ball format, Kohli’s presence, aggression, and sheer consistency have shaped modern Test cricket in many ways. His final Test tally stands at 9230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85—an outstanding record that includes 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries.
But more than numbers, it was his will to dominate, even when the odds were stacked against him, that made him a modern-day giant. Few players knew that competitive spirit better than AB de Villiers. The South African maestro, who spent 11 IPL seasons at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) alongside Kohli, recently opened up about their journey from rivals to brothers.
Interestingly, de Villiers admitted that he didn’t initially warm to Kohli. In fact, he confessed that Kohli’s aggressive personality and intense competitiveness made him a “pain to play against” and hard to like from afar. The reason? They were too alike—two fiercely driven individuals who hated losing and wore their hearts on their sleeves.
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“Virat is like one of my cricketing brothers,” Ab de Villiers shared in a video posted by the ICC. “Before I got to know him, I didn’t really like him because he was so good and competitive. Very similar to me.”
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He elaborated that this competitive edge often translated into fiery body language and an instinct to fight back—something he found frustrating when facing Kohli as an opponent.
However, once they became teammates at RCB, things changed dramatically. Their bond grew beyond cricket, evolving into a deep friendship built on mutual respect. As a batting pair, they were nothing short of iconic, scoring 3123 runs together in 76 IPL matches, including 10 century stands, the most by any duo in the tournament’s history.
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“We became brothers, family friends, and had amazing partnerships on the field. I enjoyed every second of playing with him,” AB de Villiers concluded, capturing the essence of a friendship that defined an era of IPL cricket.
