AB de Villiers explodes: ‘Cockroaches crawl out to attack’ — defends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in fiery rant | Cricket News
AB de Villiers has come out strongly in defence of his former Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammate Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, slamming the wave of negativity surrounding the two Indian legends. The former South African captain didn’t hold back, comparing some of the critics to “cockroaches” who emerge only when players reach the latter stages of their careers.
“I don’t know what it is about people. I don’t know if I can call them people. Cockroaches climbing out of their holes as soon as players get towards the backend of their careers. Why? Why do you want to pour negative energy into players that have given their lives for their country and this beautiful game of cricket? This is the perfect time to celebrate them,” de Villiers said on his YouTube channel. He added that both Rohit and Virat deserve appreciation, not criticism, for their enduring contributions to Indian cricket. “They have taken a lot of criticism in the last few months. Everyone is just trying to push them down for what reason, I have no idea. Obviously, I am referring to the minority because I think the majority of people celebrate Rohit and Virat and their incredible careers. And it is a fantastic time to celebrate them once again,” he added. Speculation about their international future had been building before India’s ODI series in Australia. But the veterans answered their critics in style. After early struggles — including Kohli’s two ducks and Rohit losing ODI captaincy — the duo produced a masterclass in Sydney. Rohit’s unbeaten 121 and Kohli’s steady 74 not out guided India to a nine-wicket win, avoiding a whitewash and silencing doubters once again.
