Newly married bridegroom and India’s Test captain Virat Kohli refused to agree to the media dubbing the upcoming high-octane India-South Africa Test series as a clash between him and A B de Villers, who happens to be his IPL Royal Challengers Bangalore team-mate.

Addressing a crowded press-conference in Cape Town after undergoing a practice session ahead of the Test series which commences next Friday, Virat Kohli sounded confident and said that individual brilliances never helped a team win games. “It is the collective efforts of all member of the team which give victories to teams; we are gelling together as a Unit; I hope our good form continues in South Africa,” he said.

India is to play a lengthy series against South Africa. Indian players’ engagements in South Africa include 3 Tests, 6 ODIs and 3 T20 matches lasting 50 days.  “It is not as if only two guys are playing against each other...we are good friends on and off the field and respect each other for what we are. However, India has to perform as a team if we are to put it across South Africa in a convincing manner,” Kohli said.

Meanwhile, Indian team management said that injured Shikhar Dhawan has been ruled out of the first Test and would be replaced by K.L. Rahul who would be opening the Indian innings along with seasoned campaigner Murali Vijay.