"He is a consummate surgeon at the crease" - When AB de Villiers offered a detailed insight into the genius of Virat Kohli

Former South African captain and batting legend AB de Villiers is celebrating his 41st birthday on Monday, February 17. The ex-Proteas cricketer is regarded as one of the all-time greats with the willow. His ability to hit boundaries around the park earned him the famous 'Mr 360' nickname.

Apart from his batting exploits, De Villiers is also known for the great camaraderie he shares with veteran Indian batter Virat Kohli, his teammate for many years at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The superstar batters have lavished praise on each other numerous times.

In a column for BBC in June 2017, written before the Champions Trophy final between India and Pakistan, De Villiers gave a detailed insight into the making of Kohli the genius. Praising his good friend, the former South Africa captain wrote:

"He is a consummate surgeon at the crease, intensely focused, working hard, playing the ball into gaps in the field and staying calm under pressure. He is always judging the right time to consolidate and the right time to seize a game by the scruff of the neck."

"He has been blessed with wonderful natural talent but, as ever among high achievers, his talent is underpinned by a willingness to work hard. Unseen, he is determined and relentless in training, remaining in the nets as long as necessary to ensure he feels comfortable with every aspect of his game. I have watched him rehearse his strokes over and over again, until sweat is pouring from his brow, never stopping until he is satisfied," De Villiers added in the column.

Unfortunately, while Kohli had an impressive Champions Trophy 2017 campaign, he faltered in the final. The right-handed batter was dismissed for five as India went down to arch-rivals Pakistan by 180 runs. Leading the team, Kohli ended the tournament with 258 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 98.85, with three fifties.

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AB de Villiers' record in international cricket

Speaking of de Villiers, he had a prolific record for South Africa across formats, amassing over 20,000 runs in international cricket at an average of 48.11, with 47 hundreds and 109 half-centuries.

The former South African batter played 114 Tests, scoring 8,765 runs at an average of 50.66, with 22 hundreds and 46 half-centuries. In ODIs, he amassed 9,577 runs in 228 matches at an average of 53.50, with 25 tons and 53 fifties. De Villiers also featured in 78 T20Is and scored 1,672 runs at a strike rate of 135.16.