Virat Kohli says Royal Challengers Bangalore teammate AB de Villiers is the ‘best batsman of his generation’.

De Villiers smashed 82 runs off 42 balls during the IPL match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, with Kohli scoring an impressive 75 from 51. The pair put on 157 runs for the second wicket as Bangalore went on to win by 45 runs.

‘Last year we had a brilliant partnership as well in Mumbai,’ said Kohli. ‘He took a bit of pressure off me there.

‘I wanted to get off the blocks [fast], but he came in and started hitting the ball like only he can, and showed why he is the best batsman of this generation.’

Photo: BCCI