Former South Africa batter AB de Villiers said that Virat Kohli will be fired up and driven to guide India to their maiden Test series win on South African soil. De Villiers also cautioned the Proteas to be careful when facing the ‘world class’ Indian Test team.
In a video on his YouTube channel, de Villiers shared his insights, emphasizing Kohli’s motivation ahead of the two-Test series set to begin on December 26.
Watch the video here
“We will see the best of Virat. I cannot wait to see the chest out, making eye contact with the opposition, being a bit verbal with everyone. Because he will be fired up for this series, and South Africa will need to be careful,” AB de Villers said.
Great opportunity for Virat and Rohit: AB de Villiers
AB De Villiers discussed India’s loss to Australia in the World Cup 2023 final and drew parallels with South Africa’s semifinal defeat in 2015. He mentioned that the upcoming series presents an opportunity for both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
“When we lost in the semifinal in 2015, I can’t remember it was just a blur the next few months. I just didn’t want to know cricket and wanted to just pack my kit away. What works for Virat and Rohit is that they haven’t won a Test series in South Africa,” he said.
“For them, this is a great opportunity. We had the opportunity to win an ODI series in India just a few months after the 2015 World Cup and I was incredibly motivated as I thought this is the opportunity to show that we were still the best team in the world,” he added.
Suryakumar Yadav, serving as the captain for the ongoing five-match T20I series against Australia, will continue leading the Indian team in the same capacity for the upcoming three-match T20 series against the Proteas. KL Rahul will captain the team in the three-match ODI series, while Rohit Sharma will lead the team in the India vs South Africa Test series.