Ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 edition, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Faf du Plessis recalled how he hit it off with Virat Kohli at his first session with the franchise ahead of the 2022 season.
Notably, the South African joined the Bengaluru-based franchise two years back and replaced Kohli as the RCB captain.
Since his inclusion at RCB, Du Plessis and Kohli have forged a superb opening pair. The two have also worked well as leaders of the group. Recently, Du Plessis shared his relationship with Kohli and said in a Star Sports interview, “There are quite a few things that Virat and I are very similar, very alike in the way we see the game or think about the game, but also in how we look at ourselves and how we want to be.”
“Obviously athletic, train hard, be fit, eat well. So we look at a holistic approach to being a professional sportsman and I think that’s why we connected so well in my first season at RCB, we were very similar.”
He added, “And yes he’s amazing, he trains hard, he’s very fit, and I feel like in today’s age of sport you have to be like that if you’re looking for longevity so he will be a great example for the younger generation that maybe feel like they can just come in and rely on their talent. Yes they are good enough in terms of talent but in terms of longevity in your body to make sure you can play for as long as possible, fitness will definitely play a role.”
Kohli is currently out of international action and missed the entire home Tests versus England due to personal reasons. In mid-February, the superstar cricketer got blessed with a second child and is currently with wife Anushka Sharma and close family members. He is expected to join RCB squad soon for the upcoming IPL season.