Champions Trophy: I have a lot of respect for Virat on and off the field, says AB de Villiers

London, June 10: South African captain AB de Villiers was in all praise for his counterpart Virat Kohli ahead of the crucial India Vs South Africa in the match 11 of ICC Champions Trophy 2017. [Match Preview]

CT 17 special site; Schedule; Photos; Points Table

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) duo lock horns tomorrow (June 11) in a must-win match. Both the sides lost their respective previous matches after a winning start to the tournament. [Will look to stop AB: Virat]

While South Africa suffered a shock defeat against Pakistan, India were stunned by Sri Lanka. All the teams have 2 points each in the Group B, which makes the last two matches of the group knock outs.

It has been a shaky start to both the captains in the Champions Trophy this time. Virat Kohli was dismissed for a duck against Sri Lanka but he can boast of scoring an unbeaten 81 against Pakistan.

AB de Villiers, on the other hand, has scored just 4 runs in 2 matches, including a golden duck against Pakistan.

At the pre-match press conference, when AB de Villiers was asked about his view on Virat, he said: "My take on Virat is simple, He is world class batsman and a top class player.

"It's difficult to stop when he gets going. Our plans will be to try to unsettle him early in his innings. It applies for all world class batsmen.

"If you cannot get them out early, they can do some damage. Kohli does it really well when he gets going.

"I have played with him many times for RCB. I respect him even more off the field. He is a good guy with a good heart. I have a lot of respect for Virat on and off the field."

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