"It's Time For Him To...": AB De Villiers On Virat Kohli Opting Out Of SA ODIs And T20Is

India squad for the upcoming all-format tour of South Africa was announced on Thursday and it came as a shocker for many. Regular skipper Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli will be missing out from the ODIs and T20Is while Yuzvendra Chahal and Sanju Samson finally earned their call-ups. Rohit and Kohli's absence from the white-ball series against the Proteas has created a stir among the fans about the future of the two players. Kohli had an exceptional outing in the recently concluded ODI World Cup and former South Africa batter AB de Villiers backed his decision of resting from ODIs and T20Is.

De Villiers stated that it's "normal for him" to get tired but he also hopes that Kohli continues playing the ODIs and Tests.

"I hope he continues to play ODIs and Tests. I'm sure he has got a plan in place. It's very reasonable and normal for him to be tired, to feel like it's time for him to unfold that final chapter in a way. I don't exactly know how long he will play for but I would like it to be for as long as possible. He's been incredible to watch and we all want to see a little bit more of him," de Villiers told Hindustan Times.

Kohli and de Villiers formed an extremely important partnership for the Royal Challengers Bangalore during the time when the South African batter was active. Since then, both of them share a close bond of friendship.

"The South Africa series is important to him, and he might play a few, rest and sit out a few and find a way to manage himself leading up to the end of his career. At a very early stage, Virat found a way to master his own game, understand what works for him and he has taken that into the highest-pressure moments," he said.

"It's a privilege to have shared the dressing room with