Former South African skipper AB de Villiers feels if Virat Kohli stays calm, then India has a very good chance of going all the way in the upcoming World Cup. AB has observed Virat Kohli from close quarters while playing with him for the Royal Challengers Bangalore and admitted that the former RCB skipper was always intense.
Kohli is well known to play with a lot of passion and wears his heart on his sleeve. However, the talisman has calmed down in the recent past after going through a rough patch in all three formats of the game.
Kohli had to wait for almost three years to end his century drought but finally broke the deadlock in September 2022 when he scored a hundred against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup.
The former Indian skipper also took a month break from the game and he has looked in a better state of mind since then as he was able to bounce back stronger.
“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,’” AB de Villiers said in a Q&A session on his YouTube Channel.
“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.
AB added a calm Virat Kohli can help India in ending their ICC trophy drought in the upcoming World Cup.
“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.
The former South African batter showered praise on Virat Kohli for guiding the young players on the right track and helping them in every step.
“In the changing 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 be seen in action in the upcoming Asia Cup.
