Virat Kohli has said that AB de Villiers would be one foreign player that he played with at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) who he would have liked to see playing for India. Kohli said that it wouldn't be too difficult for De Villiers to make the transition as well, considering he is a fan favourite in India even when he was playing for South Africa.
“A guy like AB can contribute so much to the environment he is part of just by being himself. Amazing human being, extraordinary player. No one even needs to talk about his game. It is beyond belief the kind of things he does,” Kohli said on the RCB Podcast.
“As much as I have been at the peak of playing international cricket, he just comes off a six-month layoff and bat in a manner that makes you feel like, 'I've probably worked five years to get to this level and this guy comes after a 6-month layoff without playing any cricket and he is batting five levels above you'. It is phenomenal. I don't think anyone has had the kind of ability AB has,” said Kohli.
“His approach towards life in general and the way he enjoys the game is such an inspiration for me. If I have taken inspiration from anyone within the game outside of the field, that has to be AB. The way he has taken decisions to prioritise the right things in his life. At the end of the day that is all that matters. So if I had to convince anyone it has to be AB,” said the former Indian captain.
{{/usCountry}}“His approach towards life in general and the way he enjoys the game is such an inspiration for me. If I have taken inspiration from anyone within the game outside of the field, that has to be AB. The way he has taken decisions to prioritise the right things in his life. At the end of the day that is all that matters. So if I had to convince anyone it has to be AB,” said the former Indian captain.
{{/usCountry}}Kohli recalled the 2015 ODI at the Wankhede Stadium in which the India crowd cheered De Villiers on as his 119 off 61 balls led a dominant South Africa to 438/4. India went on to lose the match by a whopping 214 runs.
“It would be a very easy decision because he already gets support from the Indian crowd even when he played for South Africa against India. Fifty thousand people in the stadium should 'ABD, ABD'. That can't happen by chance, it is a very, very special thing to happen and it does not happen to anyone anywhere in the world. It is not like South African fans had come to Wankhede, they were Indian fans chanting his name. We were like, what the hell is going on here. But that is who he is, that is the magic of AB,” he said.