AB de Villiers' Funny Exchange With Virat Kohli After RCB's IPL 2023 Win Over MI Is What Friendship Is All About

AB de Villiers, who was recently inducted into the RCB Hall Of fame, was present at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru for Royal Challengers Bangalore's Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 opener against Mumbai Indians on Sunday. Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis dished out a chasing master-class with a 148-run opening partnership as Royal Challengers Bangalore made a sensational start to their IPL campaign with a comprehensive eight-wicket demolition of Mumbai Indians. Chasing 172, Kohli (82 not out) and Du Plessis (73) produced an exhibition of sublime stroke-making, plundering 10 boundaries and as many maximums during their near flawless 89-ball stand.

After the match, ABD praised Kohli with a post where ABD could be seen fielding with Kohli shadow-practising. "When you're standing at short leg but know you're not in the game, cause this guy wasn't gonna edge any of them last night!?? well played RCB," AB De Villiers wrote in the instagram post. 

To which, Kohli replied: "Hahaha"

Talking about the match, After MI was sent into bat, Tilak Varma smashed a scintillating 84 off 46 balls to single-handedly power MI to 171 for seven but Kohli and du Plessis made mockery of the total, slamming twin fifties as RCB romped home with as many as 22 balls to spare.

After du Plessis perished in the 15th over, Kohli completed the job, hitting a four and six off Arshad Khan to knock off the winning runs to hand MI their 11th consecutive defeat inn their first match of the season.

MI brought in Jason Behrendorff in place of Suryakumar Yadav as their impact player but it didn't work as he and his new-ball partner Arshad was taken to the cleaners by Kohli and du Plessis, racking up 30 in three overs.

If Behrendorff was smacked for successive sixes by du Plessis, Kohli blasted a four and six off Jofra Archer after being dropped by the bowler in the first ball.

Veteran spinner Piyush Chawla was then introduced but du Plessis sent him across the extra cover, while Kohli pulled one across the midwicket off Archer as RCB scored 53 in six overs.

Cameron Green was then taken apart with du Plessis hitting two fours and a maximum. The skipper repeated the treatment to Hrithik Shokeen with two maximums to reach his fifty.

Kohli then whacked Chawla over long-on to bring up the team hundred before reaching his individual fifty in the 12th over.

Jason Behrendorff bled 16 runs in the next with du Plessis cracking a six and a four. Kohli then pulled Archer over deep square leg as runs kept coming thick and fast. MI picked up du Plessis and Dinesh Kartik (0) in the fag end but it was too late as Glenn Maxwell (12 not out off 3 balls) and Kohli finished off things in style.

With PTI inputs

Topics mentioned in this article

Virat Kohli AB de Villiers Royal Challengers Bangalore Mumbai Indians IPL 2023 Cricket