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AB de Villiers hails Virat Kohli's 'third peak' ahead of 2027 World Cup

Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers has expressed immense admiration for Virat Kohli, noting that the Indian star has entered a third major peak in his career ahead of the 2027 World Cup. De Villiers highlighted Kohli's notably aggressive mindset and willingness to take calculated risks as key factors driving his recent resurgence in the fifty-over format.

This commentary follows Kohli's stellar unbeaten knock of 139 runs from 88 deliveries on September 27, 2026, which propelled India to a comfortable eight-wicket victory while successfully chasing a target of 296.

During that standout innings at Thiruvananthapuram, Kohli struck ten boundaries and a personal best of nine maximums, marking his 55th century in ODI cricket. The milestone performance also elevated Kohli to become just the second batter in history to surpass 15,000 runs in the format, achieving the feat significantly faster than Sachin Tendulkar.

Meanwhile, looking ahead to the upcoming World Cup hosted in South Africa, De Villiers also shared optimism regarding the Proteas' squad depth following a run of six consecutive ODI series victories against Australia.

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