AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli (PTI Photo) NEW DELHI: For more than a decade, the sight of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers sprinting between the wickets in red and gold has been the heart of the Indian Premier League (IPL). While their individual records are unique, the duo’s lack of an IPL trophy together remains one of cricket’s greatest paradoxes. Now, ahead of the 2026 season, De Villiers offered a searing reflection on why their greatest strength, an obsessive hunger for victory, could also be their “downfall”.The South African icon revealed that he and Kohli shared one “naughty” quality: they just wanted to win too much. This intense emotional investment often made the game a deeply personal burden.
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Cricket stars gather for Kuldeep Yadav’s grand wedding reception | A night full of stars Talk to Mbangwa Media does not follow anyone. Autodesk_newDe Villiers explained that their bond was built on a shared DNA of extreme competitiveness. Once they joined forces at RCB in 2011, they realized they were cut from the same cloth. “We realized we play a similar kind of game, we have a similar outlook on the game, a similar kind of competitiveness and we really enjoyed batting together, running between the wickets, understanding cricket and wanting to win,” said De Villiers.However, this elite mentality also had a flip side. De Villiers admitted that their inability to detach themselves from the result often worked against them, leading to a mental drain that made every loss feel like a personal failure.“We were both probably disobedient when we wanted too much, because maybe our biggest downfall in our careers is that we want the team to win too much, so it affected us to the point where we would take it personally when we lose,” he admitted.Last season, Kohli finally won the elusive IPL title. “So maybe that… well, at least he got some trophies. I didn’t get many,” added De Villiers with a touch of typical humility.
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As RCB prepare for a title defense campaign in 2026, De Villiers’ words serve as a reminder of the fine line between passion and pressure. For years, the Kohli-ABD era was defined by this “naughty” desire to win, a quality that made them legends even if it made the weight of the game too heavy at times.
