‘I’ll absolutely knock you out’ – Dean Elgar reveals his first interaction with Virat Kohli
Dean Elgar, the former South African Test captain who resigned from international cricket at the start of 2024 following the two-match series against India, recalls his first interaction with Virat Kohli when he was a junior member of the team. Elgar said that when he toured India, Kohli spat on him, causing the left-hander to become upset and threaten to attack him with his bat.
During a conversation on the Betway ‘Banter with the Boys’ Podcast, Elgar revealed that Kohli spat on him and then showed him his bat before the Indian batter asked him to be cautious because he was in his den before AB de Villiers, the two players common friend, stepped in.
“Kohli spat at me”- Dean Elgar said on the podcast
“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 **** you with this bat,” Elgar said on the podcast.
Asked if Kohli understood what he said in his native language and Elgar continued, “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. Anyways, we are in India so you got to be a little bit cautious.
Kohli was AB de Villiers IPL teammate at Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Elgar stated that when the Proteas icon learned about the incident, he decided to patch things up. “De Villiers found out what he did and approached him, asking, ‘Why are you spitting at my teammate?’ Two years later, in South Africa, he called to ask if he might join me for a drink after the series. “He said he wanted to apologise for his actions,” Dean Elgar disclosed. “We drank until three, and that was my first encounter with Kohli,” Elgar continued.
For South Africa, Dean Elgar has played 86 Test matches. He took retirement against India in 2024. Virat Kohli greeted him nicely as he played his final game in Newlands, Cape Town.
