AB de Villiers says early impression of Kohli was arrogant and cocky
AB de Villiers recalled that Virat Kohli appeared overly confident when they first met.
AB de Villiers said his first impression of Virat Kohli was that the Indian batter came across as arrogant and cocky. He made the comments on a podcast with Prakhar Gupta and added that Kohli will probably agree.
De Villiers explained that the perception stemmed from Kohli's high level of self-belief at ages 19 to 21. He described the confidence as necessary for success and noted that it was sometimes misinterpreted by those around him.
The former South Africa captain said the trait faded as Kohli matured and became more balanced. He added that the need to prove himself lessened once Kohli established himself among the world's leading players.
CricHubb Take
De Villiers' account reframes Kohli's early persona as a survival tool that later became a liability in perception management, suggesting the public image of the mature Kohli is partly the result of deliberate recalibration rather than natural evolution.