Hanuma Vihari reveals what the Indian team feels about skipper Virat Kohli

Indian cricketer Hanuma Vihari said that the players of the Indian cricket team idolise Virat Kohli and want to follow the Indian skipper.

In an interview with ESPNCricinfo, the 25-year-old stated that Kohli sets an example with his work ethics both on and off the field and is an inspiration for youngsters in the dressing room.

When asked how he feels to have a better first-class average than Virat Kohli, the Indian middle-order batsman said that he does not want to compare himself with Kohli now and always want to have the appetite for scoring more runs and to stay longer at the crease.

"He (Kohli) sets an example - on the field and off the field, with the work ethic he has. He is an inspiration in the dressing room, especially for youngsters. We look at him like an idol and someone who we can follow," Vihari told ESPNCricinfo.

"Obviously I can't compare myself with him at this point in my career, but to know that I'm averaging around 60 is a great feeling. It is something I've always tried to do, you know - play for long and have that appetite for runs," he added.

The 25-year-old cricketer played an instrumental role in the Test series victory against West Indies on the recently concluded Caribbean tour. He finished the series adding 289 runs to his name from the two Test matches he played which included one century and two half-centuries.

The Men in Blue completed a whitewash against West Indies in the Test series as captain Virat Kohli led from the front. The 30-year-old Indian skipper shattered many records in the West Indies tour and also became the most successful Test captain for India surpassing Mahendra Singh Dhoni's record of 27 Test victories.

The Men in Blue rose to the top of the table in the ICC World Test Championship after their victory in the Caribbean. Team India recently shared the spoils with the South Africa team after they drew a T20 international series with Proteas, 1-1. South Africa comfortably defeated the Men in Blue in the final fixture of the three-match series to make it 1-1.

Team India are slated to face South Africa in a Test series which is going to start from October 2 in Visakhapatnam. Kohli's men will be looking forward to win the series and stay on top of the World Test Championship points table.