Dean Elgar reveals details of sledging exchange with Virat Kohli
India vs South Africa has been a spicy rivalry in the last few years, with the best batters of their teams, Virat Kohli and Dean Elgar, taking centre stage. Both have been involved in a few altercations on the field. Both have always played hard for their country, and the emotions are bound to get the better of them amidst a high-voltage game.
Dean Elgar, who has recently retired from international cricket, had a chat on a podcast named Banter with the Boys. Elgar revealed his confrontation with Virat Kohli in India. He said that he had confrontations with Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin “all the time”.
“I came into bat, and I was actually like holding my own against Ashwin and what’s his name Jeja, Jeja, Jeja (Ravindra Jadeja) and Kohli spat at me. I said to him if you do that, I’ll f****g you with this bat.”
Also Read: Major Setback: Gujarat Titans star ruled out of the upcoming Test
When the podcaster asked whether Kohli understood the local slang, Elgar revealed that Kohli knew it because AB de Villiers was his teammate at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
“Yes, he did because de Villiers was his teammate at RCB, so he understood. And I said if you do that, I’ll **** on this field, I’ll absolutely knock you out. And then [he said] ‘Hey **** you, **** you’ (mimicking Kohli), barking up the wrong tree. Anyway, we are in India, so you got to be a little bit cautious,” Elgar added.
Virat Kohli apologised to Dean Elgar two years later
Dean Elgar revealed that AB de Villiers found out about the altercation later. AB spoke to Virat Kohli, asking him the reason for his activities. After talking with de Villiers, Kohli decided to apologise two years later when India toured South Africa, as told by Elgar.
“De Villiers found out what he did and went up to him and asked, 'Why are you spitting at my teammate?' Two years later, in South Africa, he called me and asked if he could go with me for a drink after the series. He said he wanted to apologise for his actions. We drank till 3, and ya, that was my first encounter with Kohli.”
Virat Kohli has become calmer on the field, as seen by his on-field gestures in the last few years. Kohli didn’t celebrate Dean Elgar’s catch excessively in his final innings. He hugged Elgar and asked the dressing room to bow down to the retiring batter.
After the Cape Town Test, Virat Kohli also gave his signed jersey to Elgar as a mark of respect. Clearly, things have eased up between the duo after an unwanted first encounter. Elgar admitted that his experience playing during his final Test against Kohli and Ashwin was “awesome”.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram and YouTube.