IPL 2025: South Africa legend AB de Villiers said his former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) teammate, Virat Kohli, has been unfairly criticized in recent seasons. De Villiers mentioned that the “outside noise” sometimes bothers Kohli, but it doesn’t really affect his performance.
AB de Villiers Defends Virat Kohli Against Unfair Criticism
There is increasing interest in how Virat Kohli will perform in the IPL 2025 season. Last year, he faced criticism for his strike rate, especially during matches against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Jaipur. RCB lost those games, which added to the discussion.
AB de Villiers said that Virat Kohli has received unfair criticism in recent seasons, even though he has been performing well with the bat. He mentioned that the “outside noise” might have affected Kohli mentally. De Villiers also shared that he faced similar external pressures during his own playing career. Star Sports Press Room while replying to a Hindustan Times query, de Villiers said:
“I feel Virat’s taken unnecessary criticism over the last few seasons. I feel he’s batting incredibly well. There’s no doubt some of the outside noise has maybe influenced him a bit.”
He added: “We’re all human, after all. There was lots of outside noise in my playing days that had an effect on me, not necessarily my performance, but you do think about it. You’re only human.”
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AB de Villiers Reflects on Mental Challenges Faced by Cricketers
AB de Villiers said that players, including Virat Kohli, often question their abilities, their role in the team, and whether they should change their approach. He praised Virat for his strength in overcoming these mental challenges, particularly during important moments in the game.
“You go to your hotel room and think, am I still good enough? Should I still be here? Must I ask the coach to maybe bat in a different position? Am I doing the right thing for the team? So Virat, being a great team-man and only a human being after all, definitely has those doubts in his head.”
“But the one thing about Virat is he’s always had the ability to, when it matters most, cross that line for his team, block everything out, and it’s business time. You could see the focus in his eyes at the Champions Trophy.”
RCB’s New Captain Rajat Patidar Leads the Team in IPL 2025
RCB is one of the three teams that have not won an IPL title, despite being part of the league since 2008. The team has reached the finals three times (2009, 2011, 2016) but lost each time. In the last season, they made it to the playoffs but were knocked out in the Eliminator after losing to Rajasthan Royals.
For IPL 2025, RCB has named Rajat Patidar as the captain. The team includes key players like Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, and Tim David, along with experienced bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood. RCB will begin their campaign on March 22 against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders.
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