WATCH: ‘Cocky and arrogant’ – AB de Villiers shares his first impression of Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle bursts into laughter

Former Indian skipper Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers have shared a great bond, having represented Bangalore in the Indian T20 League for a long time now. Despite being a close friend of Kohli, De Villiers did not have a positive first impression of him. He recalls vividly his first impression of the star Indian batter.

De Villiers recalls a different Kohli from 10-12 years ago when he was in his early 20s and had just cemented his spot in the Indian team and won the ODI World Cup at home under MS Dhoni’s captaincy. In an interaction with former Bangalore player Chris Gayle, the former South Africa captain admitted that when he first met the ex-skipper in 2011, he found him “cocky and arrogant.”

“Oh my goodness…I have had this question before and I had given this answer before as well. I think he was quite cocky and arrogant when I met him the first time. With that hairstyle and he had bit of a strut going…yes flamboyant, absolutely. But the minute I got to know him a bit better and watched him play I mean I’ve got as much respect for him but I got to know him better as a human being. I think he had a barrier around him when I met him the first time and that barrier opened up and I got to know the person. I didn’t not like him but you know what I’m saying. He’s a top person now but first impression was ufff…he’s got to come down to earth a bit,” de Villiers said.

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Kohli and De Villiers formed one of the most formidable T20 batting pairs in Bangalore, amassing numerous century stands. Bangalore’s batting was a force to be reckoned with, especially with Gayle in the lineup. Gayle eventually left the team in 2018, and De Villiers announced his retirement in 2021. Kohli is still a member of the franchise, but he is no longer the team’s captain.