"Form is temporary, class is permanent": AB de Villiers backs Virat Kohli ahead of Asia Cup 2022

Former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) teammate AB de Villiers has backed senior Indian batter Virat Kohli to come good in the upcoming 2022 Asia Cup. The Proteas legend labeled him as one of the greatest players to have graced the game.

De Villiers mentioned that a player of Kohli's caliber does not need advice on what to do amid a lean patch. He also said that the duo share a great friendship and always stay in touch.

Speaking to NDTV, AB de Villiers said:

"Virat [Kohli] is one of the greatest cricketers ever to play the game. Form is temporary, class is permanent. Virat remains world-class. Virat and I remain in regular contact. We are friends, and he certainly does not need me to tell him the importance of working hard during a bad patch."

Kohli, who was rested for the West Indies and Zimbabwe tours, will return to action in the Asia Cup 2022 opener in a high-octane clash as India take on arch-rivals Pakistan on August 28 in Dubai.

Virat Kohli on a century drought for 1000+ days

Former India captain Virat Kohli has been stuck on 70 international centuries for the last 33 months. He last registered a ton in November 2019 against Bangladesh. Fans are waiting with bated breath to watch him return to scoring centuries and reply to his critics in style by delivering in the Asia Cup.

The under-fire batter failed to deliver on the England tour, and the right-hander scored 12 runs in two T20Is. He followed it up with scores of 16 and 17 in ODIs, respectively.

The 33-year-old is expected to hit a purple patch after more than a month-long break. Kohli loves playing against Pakistan. So, the opposition might bring out the best in him. He has slammed 311 runs in seven matches against Pakistan at an average of 77.75.

“I am looking forward to being inducted into the RCB Hall of Fame” - AB de Villiers

The former South African cricketer is excited to join the RCB Hall of Fame after serving the Indian Premier League franchise for 11 years (2011-2021). In his overall IPL career, de Villiers scored 5162 runs in 184 matches at an impressive strike rate of 151.69.

"I have been privileged to be associated with RCB for many years and remain in close contact with the franchise. I am looking forward to being inducted into the RCB Hall of Fame at some stage during the 2023 IPL - that will be a great honor."