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AB de Villiers had a word of advice for struggling Virat Kohli

Kohli recorded only 186 runs in IPL 2022 in 10 games

ABD has formed an impressive partnership with Kohli for RCB in recent seasons.

Former Royal Challengers captain Bangalore Virat Kohli is battling for runs in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 this season. Kohli was generally out of form. So far, the right-hand batter has recorded 186 runs in 10 games with a low average par of 20.67 in IPL 2022. According to statistics, the former RCB batsman AB de Villiers advised Kohli when he spoke to the AFP.

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De Villiers, better known as 'Mr 360' for his turn-based game and 'Superman' for his surprisingly nimble battles in the field, says he is lucky that he has not experienced many bad runs in his career. However, he felt sorry for his close friend, Indian superstar Virat Kohli, who was with him in the Indian Premier League Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise.

"King Kohli" had been going through a rough patch including two successive golden ducks before he hit 58 on Saturday. He has also failed to score a century in over 100 matches in all formats.

"As a batsman you are only one or two bad knocks away from bad form," said de Villiers.

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"If it keeps coming at you it is difficult to bounce back from it."

De Villiers says he has not been in touch with Kohli, but says the struggle becomes largely one of the minds. "I cannot put a percentage to it but it is the mind and power of the mind which is the main battle," he said.

"You do not become a bad player overnight. Virat would know it and I know it. I think it's the way you think and set your mind. You need a clear mind and fresh energy whenever you play and then you can find a way out of a hole."

While Villiers made a lot of money on the T20 format, he is a strong defender of the game Trial. In 114 trials between 2004 and 2018, he collected 8,765 runs for South Africa, an average of more than 50.

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"Test cricket is my number one format," he said. "I think most players feel that way. There is nothing more rewarding than standing out there for five days with your team.

"It is the ultimate challenge. I do not know why anyone would say they do not want that challenge in the hardest of formats.

"I will stop watching cricket if Test cricket were to be no more."

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