We will see the best of Virat Kohli during South Africa Tests: AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers. (Photo Source: Instagram/abdevilliers17)

Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers expressed his anticipation of witnessing a charged-up Virat Kohli during India’s upcoming tour of South Africa, which includes three T20Is, three ODIs, and two Test matches. The month-long tour is set to begin on December 10, with Rohit Sharma and Kohli rested from the initial white-ball segment.

KL Rahul will lead the team in Hardik Pandya’s absence for the three-match T20I series starting on December 10, followed by matches on December 12 and December 14 in Gqeberha and Johannesburg, respectively. Rahul will continue to lead in the ODI series, commencing on December 17 in Johannesburg, with subsequent matches on December 19 in Gqeberha and December 21 in Paarl.

The tour concludes with the much-anticipated Gandhi-Mandela Trophy, featuring Kohli and Rohit’s return for the Test series. The first Test is scheduled in Centurion from December 26 to December 30, followed by the second Test in Cape Town from January 3 to January 7.

Ahead of the series, De Villiers expressed his expectations for Kohli’s exceptional performance, anticipating a spirited display.

“We will see the best of Virat. I cannot wait to see the chest out, the eye contact with the opposition, and being a bit verbal with everyone. Because he will be fired up for this series. South Africa will need to be careful. This Indian squad is pure world-class,” said De Villiers as quoted by India Today.

Virat Kohli emerged as the best batter of the tournament:

Kohli had a fantastic run in the recently concluded ICC ODI World Cup, emerging as the top run-scorer and the best batter of the tournament. He scored a brilliant 765 runs in 11 innings at an average of 95.62. Virat also scored a half-century in the final against the Aussies. However, it was not enough, as the Australian team easily chased the target set by the Indians, securing their sixth ODI World Cup Trophy with a victory in the match.