AB de Villiers back pedals after Kohli mistake

AB de Villiers, who is close friends with fellow cricket icon Virat Kohli, was recently discussing the India star’s absence from the Test series against England due to ‘personal reasons’.

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During a Q&A session on his YouTube channel, De Villiers was asked about Kohli and why he may be absent from action, and at the time he suggested the India superstar and wife Anushka Sharma were expecting their second child.

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However, De Villiers has now retracted his statement, conceding he made a ‘terrible mistake’ by sharing ‘false information’ and admitting “no one knows what’s happening”.

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“Absolutely family comes first, it’s a priority, as I said on my YouTube show. Also, I made a terrible mistake at the same time and yeah, sharing false information which was not true at all. No one knows what’s happening,” De Villiers was quoted as saying by news agency IANS.

“That’s all I can do is wish him well and I think the whole world that follows Virat and that enjoys his cricket, must just wish him well, and whatever the reason is for this break. Really hope that he comes back stronger, better, healthier, and fresh.”

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AB DE VILLIERS AND VIRAT KOHLI FORMED A SPECIAL BOND

During his initial conversation, De Villiers may have realised he overstepped the mark, when he shared personal information.

“All I know is he is fine. He is spending a bit of time with his family, that is the reason he is missing the first two Test matches. I am not going to confirm anything else. I cannot wait to see him back. He is fine, he is doing well,” De Villiers first said on his YouTube channel.

“Let me just see what he said. I just want to at least give you a little bit of love. So I wrote to him ‘Been wanting to check in with you for a while now biscuits. How are you?’. He said ‘Just need to be with my family right now. I am doing well’.

He then added: “Yes, his second child is on the way. Yes, it’s family time and things are important to him. If you are not true and genuine to yourself, you lose track of what you are here for. I think most people’s priority is family. You can’t judge Virat for that.”

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