Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter AB de Villiers lauded Team India batter Virat Kohli for evolving into a more attacking batter in ODIs. Despite being consistent over the years, Kohli was often risk-averse and willing to play the time game as well. However, he has revamped his batting approach to a more up-tempo style, especially in ODIs this year.

Talking about Kohli, De Villiers said on his YouTube channel, AB de Villiers 360, “It’s fantastic to see him bat this way, and it could not be happening at a better time, just prior to the World Cup. He’s the best ODI batter of all time, arguably, but in my opinion, definitely. He’s showing the other side as well, where he can be the aggressor. He seems to have consciously worked towards playing positively, knowing he’s at his best then. Overthinking things too much can be your downfall sometimes.”

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“It feels like a third peak for him as he’s batting better than ever. This time around, his strike rate is up. His aggressive nature is something that really stands out. 139 off 88 is something we never used to see from Kohli in ODIs. He used to be a lot more reserved and an anchor for the Indian batting lineup, allowing everyone to bat around him,” he added.

AB de Villiers also believes Virat Kohli’s stunning form will boost the confidence of the other Indian players as they look to win the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa as well.

“It just feels like Virat is free in his mind now. To have the main man, the greatest of all time, in the best form is going to be huge for India in the 2027 World Cup. The rest of the players will be boosted by him and go in with a lot of confidence. India have historically done well in ICC events in South Africa,” concluded AB de Villiers.