AB de Villiers revealed that he once told Virat Kohli to tone down his emotions for an IPL season and said that the RCB star decided not to listen to him. Kohli is known for being intense on the field and isn’t someone who hides his true emotions on the field. There were a couple of instances during the ongoing season this season as Kohli was pumped in the IPL Qualifier 1 against PBKS.

Ahead of the IPL 2025 final, De Villiers opened up on the time when he told Kohli to tone down a bit. The former RCB man told Kohli to play a season without being too emotional. De Villiers said that Kohli agreed that it was a good idea, but decided not to follow the advice.

“We have had this conversation many times before. Why don’t you try for a season and just get the emotion out of it, just to sort of relax a bit, ok? And I’ve told him before, and he said, it’s not a bad idea, but it seems not to have worked out,” said De Villiers.

‘Being emotional on the field is one of Kohli’s strengths’

De Villiers feels that being aggressive and emotional is natural for Kohli and one of his biggest strengths. The former South African skipper said that Kohli has reached where he is because of the fact that he wears his heart on his sleeve.

“He doesn’t listen to me. So the thing is, I think it’s a natural thing for him. He can’t help but show that he cares and that’s where it comes from. So, at the end of the day, it is one of his strengths. He’s come to where he is in his career and in his life because of the person that he is, the fact that he wears his heart on his sleeve. I think I would like to see him as a more calm and composed player out there and I did speak to him about it, and I guess I was wrong,” said De Villiers.

Kohli and RCB will play the IPL 2025 final on June 3.