AB de Villiers Says Virat Kohli ‘Ghosted’ Him After His ‘Pregnancy’ Blunder: “Thank Goodness I Had a Footfall

AB de Villiers Says Virat Kohli ‘Ghosted’ Him After His ‘Pregnancy’ Blunder: On June 3, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, just moments before the start of the IPL 2025 final between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the Punjab Kings, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers shared an emotional embrace. Hours later, at the conclusion of the spectacular night where RCB lifted their first IPL trophy, the two franchise and cricketing legends were videoed together, being interviewed alongside each other and celebrating. However, some time ago, the two weren't even on speaking terms.

In an interview with Cricket.com, the ex-South African cricketer mentioned a mistake he made last year that turned Kohli completely off him for a number of months. But he did say that he was thrilled that the ex-India captain has started talking to him again, in the early parts of this year.

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De Villiers was prompted about Kohli retiring from Test cricket and whether the last time he had seen Kohli was similarly his own retirement in 2018, with both of them feeling equal spirits this way because they had both retired "prematurely".

He then recounted his discussion with Kohli, saying it was just six months after the mistake in 2024 that the Indian superstar started talking to him again.

"I know we were in the same boat because we spoke about it. He's been in touch with me over the last six months. Thank goodness! Because I did have a bit of a footfall not too long ago when they were expecting their second child. So, I was very relieved when he started talking to me again," he said.

"We all know he went through a bit of a patch and sort of wanted to bounce a few ideas off me. How did I get through certain moments of my life. So, I knew what kind of phase he was going through, considering his age and how many games he's played, and the dynamics of being in the team all the time, the politics thereof as well. There are a lot of things weigh in on you, and so I shared with him from the heart what I felt and what I thought watching him on the screen. I'm happy he is still around playing cricket and that decision comes from the heart and I support him 100 per cent with that," he added.

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What had happened last year?

In early 2024, Kohli had skipped the entire home series against England, under the explanation of personal reasons. This explanation was condemned immediately by the commentators, after which De Villiers, who has a YouTube channel, came out in support of Kohli, saying Kohli was not on national duty as he and his wife were expecting their second child, Anushka Sharma.

A few days later, he quickly backtracked his comments, saying he made 'a big mistake.'

De Villiers was speaking to Dainik Bhaskar during the then-ongoing SA20 league in South Africa, he said: "Family comes first and then Cricket. I made a terrible mistake on my YouTube channel. That information was wrong and not true at all. Virat has every right to take a break from national duties due to family reasons. I think whatever's best for Virat's family, comes first. No one knows what's happening there, all I can do is wish him well. Whatever the reason for his break, I hope he can come back stronger, better, and fresh from this."

Although, De Villiers' story turned out to be true as Kohli and Anushka welcomed their second child, son Akaay, on February 15, 2024.

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