AB de Villiers says he first saw Virat Kohli as arrogant and cocky

AB de Villiers said his first impression of Virat Kohli was that the Indian batter was "arrogant and cocky". The former South Africa captain made the remarks during a podcast with Prakhar Gupta. He added that Kohli's early confidence was often misinterpreted by those around him.

De Villiers said the perception came from Kohli's high level of self-belief at the age of 19, 20 and 21. He noted that such confidence is necessary to achieve great success and that Kohli learned to manage it over the years. The South African said the sense of having to prove himself faded as Kohli grew older and became more balanced.

De Villiers and Kohli later formed a close friendship during their time together at Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL. The South African said the initial impression was partly tongue-in-cheek but that Kohli would likely agree with the description.