IPL 2025 Final: AB de Villiers reveals suggestion Virat Kohli didn't follow

The stage is set in Ahmedabad for the grand finale of IPL 2025, as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) gear up to face Punjab Kings (PBKS) on June 3. With both teams chasing their elusive maiden IPL title, fans can expect a high-octane clash between two determined sides looking to make history.

For RCB, one man has remained a constant through all 18 seasons—Virat Kohli. The former captain has been a pillar of the franchise, leading with intensity, pride, and unwavering commitment. This season has been no different. Kohli has had another fantastic campaign so far, scoring 614 runs in 15 innings with consistency and flair.

But more than his numbers, what has always set Kohli apart is his passion for the game and the fiery aggression he brings onto the field. Speaking about this defining trait ahead of the final, Kohli’s former RCB teammate AB de Villiers opened up on how he once tried to convince Kohli to approach the game with a calmer mindset—but to no avail.

“He doesn’t listen to me.” - AB de Villiers on Virat Kohli

“We’ve had this conversation many times before. I said, ‘Why don’t you try for a season and just get the emotion out of it, just to sort of relax a bit, ok?’ And I’ve told him before, and he said, ‘It’s not a bad idea,’ but it seems not to have worked out,” De Villiers recalled.

De Villiers emphasised that Kohli’s intense, emotional nature is part of what makes him such a unique and successful player. “He doesn’t listen to me. So the thing is, I think it’s a natural thing for him. He can’t help but show that he cares, and that’s where it comes from. So, at the end of the day, it is one of his strengths,” he added.

“He’s come to where he is in his career and in his life because of the person that he is—the fact that he wears his heart on his sleeve. I think I would like to see him as a more calm and composed player out there, and I did speak to him about it, and I guess I was wrong,” De Villiers admitted

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