Former South Africa skipper AB de Villiers said he found star India batter Virat Kohli a 'cocky and arrogant' youngster in his first impression.

De Villiers and Kohli have built a strong friendship after playing together for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL over the years.

RCB bought De Villiers in the IPL 2011 auction for $1.1 million after Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) had released him. He never left the franchise after that and played till the 2021 season, before announcing his retirement.

“Oh my goodness, I’ve heard this question before. Yeah, I’m gonna give it an honest answer again. I thought he (Virat) was quite cocky and arrogant when I met him first. A hairstyle going, absolutely flamboyant. But the minutes I got to know him better and watched him play,I had a lot of respect for him, ” AB de Villiers told Chris Gayle during a video interaction.

De Villiers further spoke on their bond which got better with time while playing for RCB.

“And I think he had a barrier around him when I met him the first time and he opened up and I got to know that person. So lots of respect after that first meeting, other than not liking it. I thought he has to come down a bit to earth…(laughs).”

In the video, Gayle also recalled his memories of playing at the Chinnaswamy Stadium for RCB.

“It played a big part to be honest with you. Not only played a big part, I think, but it’s also one of the best venues I’ve actually played at. The fans, the roar, the chants and it’s fantastic and I get goosebumps when I’m playing there,” the former West Indies skipper said.

On Sunday (March 26), RCB organised an event called ‘RCB Unbox’ at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where they retired Gayle’s and De Villiers’ jerseys and inducted them into their Hall of Fame.

During the event, the Bangalore-based franchise also unveiled new jersey for the upcoming Indian Premier League season.

RCB will open their IPL 2023 campaign against Mumbai Indians (MI) on April 2.