AB de Villiers: “He’s become a great captain and an even better friend”

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South Africa and Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman AB de Villiers has revealed that he loves playing with Virat Kohli as he is a “great guy” and a “great captain”.

De Villiers and Kohli are currently playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL), but while the Royal Challengers are in the midst of yet another disastrous season, De Villiers admitted that Kohli’s ability to keep the team’s spirits high is simply incredible.

“Fantastic. He’s (Virat) a great guy and I love playing with him,” De Villiers was quoted as saying by Starsportlive. “He’s become a great captain and an even better friend. So, it’s been great. He’s always been an inspirational character and we have a few leaders in the team that carry the guys in tough times. We just want to look ahead and try to get better.”

In this year’s IPL, De Villiers has scored 286 runs in eight games at an average of 40.85 and a strike-rate of 174.39.

When asked to rate his performance thus far, the 34-year-old said: “I am batting very well. I am very very happy. Rashid got me out previously. We haven’t played a lot against each other, but he bowled well and he’s a very good bowler. I have a lot of respect for him.”

The Royal Challengers are currently seventh on the IPL standings, and De Villiers admitted that they have to step up and make their presence felt if they are to turn their fortunes around.

“No, we haven’t played well. It’s been very disappointing, but four games are left and I would love to not live in the past much, and focus on what’s coming, which is Delhi (Daredevils),” he said. “So, we need to win that game and hopefully have a bit of our run by the end of the season.”