Virat Kohli pens a heartwarming message for AB de Villiers after his retirement

Former Bangalore captain Virat Kohli has paid an emotional tribute of sorts for his teammate and good friend AB de Villiers, who decided to retire from all forms of cricket. The former South African captain took to social media to announce his end with Bangalore. The right-hand batter said it was an incredibly tough decision to make, but also felt it was right considering the future.

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The talismanic player has been with the Bangalore franchise for the past 10 years. Along with Kohli, De Villiers was the heartbeat of the franchise. He has won numerous matches for the team singlehandedly due to his fearless batting. This season though there were no fireworks from De Villiers in the second leg and he looked a pale shadow of himself. He started the India leg with a bang but was found wanting in the UAE leg.

Nonetheless, he retires from the league as one of the all-time greats and has ended up scoring 4491 runs in the 156 matches played for Bangalore. The decision also comes just ahead of the mega auction set to take place in 2022. Kohli, who has shared several memorable moments with de Villiers and considered him as brother took to Twitter and said he was the most inspirational person that he ever met.

"To the best player of our times and the most inspirational person I've met, you can be very proud of what you've done and what you've given to RCB my brother. Our bond is beyond the game and will always be.

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"This hurts my heart but I know you've made the best decision for yourself and your family like you've always done. I love you @ABdeVilliers17," Kohli added.

To the best player of our times and the most inspirational person I've met, you can be very proud of what you've done and what you've given to RCB my brother. Our bond is beyond the game and will always be.

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) November 19, 2021

Kohli also took to Instagram and said he will miss playing with De Villiers in the T20 league. "You've given everything to RCB and I know that in my heart. What you mean to this franchise and to me cannot be put into words. The Chinnaswamy Stadium will miss cheering for you and I'm going to miss playing alongside you, my brother. I love you and I'll always be your number 1 fan," he added.

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A post shared by Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli)

De Villiers also thanked Bangalore for support and adorably said he has become a half- Indian by playing in the Indian T20 League.

“I’m going to be an RCBian for life. Every single person in the RCB set-up has become family to me. People come & go, but the spirit & the love we have for each other at RCB will always remain. I’ve become half Indian now & I’m proud of that.” - @ABdeVilliers17 #ThankYouAB pic.twitter.com/5b6RUYfjDY

— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) November 19, 2021