Play hard on the field, but be up for a laugh off it: Virat Kohli

New Delhi, Oct 26: Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Saturday shared a throwback picture of him sharing a laugh with England limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan and former South Africa star AB de Villiers and asserted how cricket has given him friends both on and off the field.

"The beautiful thing about sport is that rivalries stay on the field and just with a smile and an open mind all tension between athletes can be put to rest. Play hard on the field but always be up for a laugh off it. What a blessing to have gotten to know so many amazing people through sport," Kohli said in an Instagram post along with a picture of him laughing with Morgan and de Villiers.

Kohli shares a great camaraderie with de Villiers as they both play for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League.

The 30-year-old has been rested for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh beginning November 3. Rohit Sharma will be leading the side in his absence.

"He will be skipping the T20 series as he has been playing non-stop and needs a break considering that he has been part of the Australia series, the IPL, the World Cup, the tour of West Indies and now the series against South Africa. Managing the workload of the players, especially those playing all formats, is something that is a priority with this team to ensure that the players are fresh and on the top of their game at all times," a source in the team management had said.