“He was constantly making eye contact with me during the game. For them to invite us after the game and telling us to be part of the journey was not necessary, but a special touch from him and the team, to pull Chris and myself in there. I knew it was a matter of time for the team to push through and break the shackles, and finally that happened, and hopefully the floodgates open,” he added.

Recalling his time at the franchise, De Villiers said: “We had great energy. We never won during my playing days, but luckily RCB is catching up nicely now. But it was great energy. I was in awe of some of the greats I was sharing the dressing room with. There was Chris, Virat, and quite a few others. That was something that always stood out for me. Seeing how they prepare for games, what kind of humans they are, and the character they show. It is a privilege. The dressing room was fun, and I always felt lucky to be there.”

Speaking about his bond with Kohli, the South African told, “We communicated, but there was also a good understanding between us, in knowing what is required for us to have an impact on the game. We just understood the flow of the game really well. There was a nice synergy. We like to read the game really well and stay one step ahead. So there was a good understanding. It’s a combination of communicating really well and understanding in general,” he said.