Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket this Monday, sending shockwaves across fans and the entire cricketing world. The Indian batting legend, who represented India in 113 Test matches, scored 8,848 runs at an average of 49.15, including 29 centuries and 30 fifties. He was also dismissed twice in the nervous nineties. Kohli, who was once hopeful of playing Test matches in England again, as mentioned by former selector Sarandeep Singh, has now officially called time on his red-ball career.
Former RCB teammate and close friend AB de Villiers shared his thoughts on Kohli’s retirement. In a video posted by the ICC on Instagram, De Villiers referred to Virat as one of his “cricketing brothers.” He admitted that before getting to know him personally, he didn’t quite like Kohli.
“Virat is like one of my cricketing brothers, someone I really grew fond of once I got to know him better. He was a nightmare to play against. Initially, I didn’t like him much because he was so good and so competitive — quite like me in that regard,” De Villiers said.
“We both love winning and take our roles in the team very seriously. That’s why, on the field, there’s often aggressive body language — ready to counter anything. That’s exactly how Virat was when we played against each other.”
De Villiers further spoke about how their bond became stronger during their years at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). What started as professional respect turned into a deep personal friendship.
“Then I got to know him at RCB — and everything changed. We became family friends, brothers, and excellent partners at the crease. We understood each other’s game so well. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of batting with him.”
With Virat now retired from both Test and T20 formats, and Rohit Sharma having retired just a few days earlier, both Indian greats are expected to turn their focus to the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup, hoping to sign off their remarkable careers by lifting the coveted trophy.
