AB de Villiers reveals why Virat Kohli came across as 'arrogant and cocky' in early days

Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has opened up about his first impression of Virat Kohli, admitting that the Indian batting star came across as "arrogant and cocky" when they first met. However, de Villiers explained that Kohli's attitude was largely a reflection of his immense self-confidence as a young cricketer.

Speaking on a podcast with Prakhar Gupta, de Villiers was asked whether he genuinely considered Kohli arrogant and cocky during their early interactions. "Yeah, and I think he'll agree with that," de Villiers responded.

The former South African batter clarified that his initial perception was shaped by Kohli's confidence and belief in his abilities. According to de Villiers, the Indian cricketer displayed an exceptionally high level of self-assurance during the early stages of his career.

"Just a high level of confidence and he's always played his cricket that way. It gets misinterpreted sometimes. In my case, that's what happened as well. He came across as overly confident," de Villiers said.

AB de Villiers explains how Virat Kohli changed over the years

De Villiers acknowledged that Kohli was a highly confident youngster when they first met, particularly during his early international career. However, he stressed that such self-belief can be important for a player aspiring to achieve success at the highest level.

"I mean, that was my first impression. It's always tongue-in-cheek when I say that, but I think he'll agree with that. He was a very confident youngster at the age of 19, 20, 21. Early days. That's also what's necessary to achieve great success. You really need to believe in your own ability and you just learn to manage that over the years," he added.

The former South Africa captain also explained that Kohli's personality evolved as he gained experience and achieved greater success in international cricket.

According to de Villiers, the batter gradually became more balanced as both a person and a cricketer, with less need to project an overly confident image.

"That faded away as he grew older and as he became more balanced as a person and as a cricket player. I think he had a lot to prove when he was younger, and that faded away. And that also changed that sense of having to be overly confident with people, but that changed," he said.

Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers share a long-standing bond

Kohli and de Villiers developed a close friendship while representing Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Their partnership became one of the most recognisable associations in the tournament, with both batters playing key roles for the franchise over the years.

While de Villiers' first impression of Kohli was shaped by the Indian star's confidence, his latest comments highlight how he believes the batter's personality matured with time and experience.

Kohli, meanwhile, remains one of India's most prominent batting figures, having built an illustrious career across international cricket and the IPL.