Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers' warm hug at IPL final makes RCB fans emotional | Watch

Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers shared an emotional hug ahead of the IPL 2025 final between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings

Published on: Jun 3, 2025, 20:32:16 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers shared an emotional hug ahead of the IPL 2025 final between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on Tuesday. The two were RCB's mainstay for 11 years before the latter announced his retirement in 2021. Their reunion before the big game left several fans emotional.

Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers shared an emotional hug at IPL 2025 final (X)

ABD, popularly known as Mr 360, also sent a message to Kohli on the eve of the IPL 2025 final. The South African told Star Sports: “My message to Virat is to go out and enjoy and have fun out there. Put a smile on your face. I will be there watching you. Bring that (IPL) trophy home. Enjoy every minute of it."

IPL 2025: RCB vs PBKS final live score

However, it was Kohli and AB de Villiers' on-field moment that caught fans' attention.

“Virat Kohli Huging Ab de villiers It's an emotional moment Hope today rcb won 🏆 And tribute them and their fans,” one person wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

“The Hug Moments of Virat Kohli & Ab De Villiers. ❤️” another fan tweeted.

De Villiers played for RCB from 2011 to 2021. In 157 matches for the franchise, he scored 4522 runs at an average of 41.20 and a strike rate of over 155. His highest IPL score (133*) came against the Mumbai Indians in 2015. De Villiers and Kohli formed the IPL’s most prolific duo, posting five 100+ partnerships and two 200+ partnerships, including a record 229-run stand for the 2nd wicket against Gujarat Lions in 2016.

Meanwhile, Kohli and the RCB play the IPL final on Tuesday with an aim to win their maiden trophy. Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to field.

RCB vs PBKS playing 11

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarwal, Rajat Patidar (capt), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood.

Punjab Kings: Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (capt), Josh Inglis (wk), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Azmatullah Omarzai, Kyle Jamieson, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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