Champions Trophy: India vs South Africa; Kohli-ABD face-off in crucial qualifier

Two batting giants Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers will face off on Sunday in ICC Champions Trophy match in Oval where India will play against South Africa in a qualifier for the semis.

It’s a qualifier game for both teams so the pressure will be immense on both captains who are actually teammates for franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore in India Premiere League.

They have the highest mutual respect for each other and for AB de Villiers, Indian captain Virat Kohli is a “good guy with a good heart”.

“My take on him (Kohli) is quite simple, really. He’s a world-class player. I know him really well. We’ve played together quite a few years at Bangalore. I respect him even more off the field. Just a good guy with a good heart. I love the way he plays cricket,” said AB de Villiers

“He is very competitive. He always likes to come out on top. That’s the kind of approach that I also have with my cricket. I like to compete and try and contribute in order for the team to win. He is a top-class player. He is difficult to stop when he gets going,” de Villiers added.

However, in today's game, both Kohli and AB de Villiers will be looking to exploit each other's weaknesses.

Let's have a look at their batting records

Virat Kohli has played 181 matches in which he batted in 173 innings and scored 7836 runs. Kohli's highest is 183 with an impressive average of 53.30. Kohli scored 27 ODI tons and 40 fifties.

AB de Villiers has played  221 matches and in 212  innings he scored 9303 runs with the average of 53.77. His highest score in ODI is 162 not-out. He has scored 24 centuries and 53 fifties in ODI. 

Statistically, both batsmen stand equal and it is really difficult to place one ahead of the other. 

However, while chasing the target Kohli's batting average improves drastically and he is one of the best in terms of chasing a target.

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