IPL 2020: 'He leads from the front,' AB de Villiers heaps praise on RCB skipper Virat Kohli's captaincy

The 13th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to begin in UAE on 19 September. Although it will be taking place on a foreign land, the tournament promises to showcase some top-notch performances. South Africa batsman AB de Villiers, who will be playing for the Royal Challengers’ Bangalore, is hopeful of a successful IPL 2020. RCB are yet to win the cash-rich league but de Villiers is optomistic of finally achieving the feat. In a video clip uploaded by RCB’s office YouTube channel, the wicket-keeper batsman said that he was ready for the tournament as he was “feeling better than ever”.

He said, “I think the clarity about the IPL happening came one month back, more or less. BCCI has done a remarkable job in getting the IPL going, we are very excited to play the tournament”. “I am feeling better than ever so I am looking to be out there with the boys,” added the player. Speaking about the condition of the team, AB said the squad has a “good work ethic” and everyone contributes to this “hard-working environment”. However, the South African national did not hold back on crediting RCB captain and good friend Virat Kohli on setting the example. AB said how Virat “leads from the front” after which it becomes “pretty easy to follow” in his footsteps. Featuring in the video from the series ‘Bold Diaries’, the player also talked about the break he had to take due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Sounding positive the batsman said that he has taken multiple breaks throughout his career to recover from injuries and this break was no different in the sense that he will be able to get up on his feet and get his form back in no time. RCB’s first match in the series will be played on 21 September when they battle it out against SunRisers Hyderabad.