IPL 2022: Kohli admits he will be emotional for de Villiers if RCB wins title
Royal Challengers Bangalore is hunting for its maiden title in IPL 2022. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli says he will be emotional for AB de Villiers if RCB wins the title.
FollowRoyal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is one of three sides in the profitable Indian Premier League (IPL) who have been playing the tournament since its inception in 2008 but is yet to win the title. The IPL 2022 gives the side a new chance at success. Meanwhile, former skipper Virat Kohli has admitted that he will be emotional for RCB legend AB de Villiers if the side wins the elusive maiden title.
De Villiers announced his retirement from professional cricket last year. His last IPL stint was with RCB, where he had a majestic term, scoring 4,491 runs in 156 matches at an average of 41.20. Kohli said that de Villiers would be the first thought that would come to his mind if RCB attained title success, and it would be kind of dedicating the victory to him.
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"The other day, it got me thinking that if we manage to win the title in the coming seasons, I would be very emotional about him [ABD] first. Rather than what I would experience after such hard work of so many years, I would think of him," an emotional Kohli was quoted as saying on RCB Bold Diaries.
"It would still mean a lot to him even if he watched the game from home. He is a special human being as he has touched everyone, and we all can vouch for that. He has been amazing, and I don't think one person can say that AB de Villiers has not contributed to their lives in some way or the other," he added.
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Speaking on his reaction after hearing de Villiers' retirement news, Kohli said that he and his wife Anushka Sharma were in utter shock. It all happened while he, Anushka and Team India were returning home from Dubai following its unsuccessful outing in the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup. However, he expressed that he had a hunch that it was coming during IPL 2021.
"So, I knew something was brewing up. It was a bizarre feeling; I got very emotional. The voice note was very emotional for me when he said, 'Look, I don't have it in me anymore'. I have shared so many moments with him, highs and lows, everything we have been through, he was right next to me," concluded Kohli.
