AB de Villiers says Kohli seemed arrogant and cocky when they first met
AB de Villiers said his first impression of Virat Kohli was that the Indian batter was arrogant and cocky due to his high self-confidence.
Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers said his first impression of Virat Kohli was that the Indian batter was arrogant and cocky. De Villiers made the remarks during a podcast with Prakhar Gupta and clarified that what appeared as arrogance was largely Kohli's high level of self-belief at the age of 19, 20 and 21.
De Villiers added that the perception was partly tongue-in-cheek and that such confidence is necessary to achieve great success. He noted that Kohli learned to manage that self-belief over the years as he matured and became more balanced.
The former teammates later formed a close friendship during their time together at Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL. De Villiers said the sense of having to prove himself faded as Kohli established himself among the leading players in world cricket.
CricHubb Take
The admission shows how Kohli's early intensity, once misread as arrogance, became the foundation of a 15-year international career built on self-belief.