Throughout his 16-year-long international career, Virat Kohli has played with some of the greatest players to play the game both from India and overseas. From Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, and Shubman Gill, the 35-year-old has played with some of the best players from three different generations.

Naming the most talented player he played with, Kohli picked South African legend Ab de Villiers. Kohli lavished praise on his former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) teammate after the ex-Proteas captain was inducted into the International Cricket Council (ICC) Hall of Fame.

Kohli and de Villiers are close friends having shared the dressing room for 11 seasons of the IPL. While Kohli has been part of RCB since 2008, de Villiers played for them from 2011 to 2021. Kohli captained the Proteas star from the 2013 season. The South African cricket legend played some of the greatest knocks in the history of the world's richest league history under Kohli's captaincy.

Kohli hailed de Villiers for being part of the ICC Hall of Fame and left no doubt that the South African great is the most talented player he played.

"You are thoroughly deserving of your place – after all, the Hall of Fame is a representation of your impact on the game, and yours has been truly unique. People have always spoken about your ability, and rightly so. You are the most talented cricketer I have played with, the absolute number one," said Kohli in a heartfelt letter to de Villiers published by ICC.

Recalling leading India while playing against South Africa, Kohli claimed de Villiers was one of the hardest players to play against and recalled a gritty knock of 43 in 297 balls against India in Delhi.

"You were always completely in tune with the needs of the team, which made you one of the hardest players to make plans for when we were on opposing sides in international cricket. Everyone remembers your attacking shots but you would adapt to the situation. Take 2015, in Delhi, when you faced 297 balls and made 43 trying to save the Test match," said Kohli.

"There must have been a temptation at some stage to think ‘I’ve faced 200 balls, I need to hit a boundary’. But once you locked yourself into what the situation required, you just kept going on and on. It all comes back to that belief in your ability. It wasn’t just about the crazy, extravagant shots. You had the ability to defend the ball and had belief in that defence. To play that way because South Africa needed you to do so is a classic example of the team player you were," Kohli added.

Kohli further hailed Ab de Villiers as one of the greatest to play the game and claimed he left a huge impact on the pssche of those watching.

"A lot of players can have impressive numbers but very few have an impact on the psyche of those watching. For me, that is the highest value you can have as a cricketer and that is what makes you so special. A lot of players can have impressive numbers but very few have an impact on the psyche of those watching. For me, that is the highest value you can have as a cricketer and that is what makes you so special.

" You are in the Hall of Fame for the impact you have left on the game and I don’t think there is anything more special for a cricketer than to have that honour. You are one of the greatest players to ever play the game," Kohli added.

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