Virat Kohli is an inspiration for many - Rahul Dravid heaps praise on Kohli ahead of his 500th international match

There are very few names in Indian cricket who have played more than a decade of international cricket and even fewer who have racked up the 15-year mark. One glistening name amongst the few is that of Virat Kohli, who will achieve the milestone of playing his 500th international match when India name him in the playing XI for their second Test against West Indies.

With talks of Kohli’s presence in T20s getting limited from now on amidst the nation’s booming talent pool ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup, his attendance in the 50-over format and Test cricket continues to be a major driving force for India. India’s current head coach, Rahul Dravid, had nothing but praises for the senior batter when he was asked about Kohli’s future in the Indian cricket team in the context of his age.

Dravid said, “He's a real inspiration to so many players within this team without a doubt, to so many boys and girls in India. His numbers and stats speak for themselves, his performances - it's all there in the book. But I think for me what's great to see first-hand is the effort and work he puts behind the scenes when no one's watching. That's reflected in the fact that he's going to be playing 500 games.”

The Indian coach further added, “He's still very strong, very fit, the energy and enthusiasm despite playing 500 games and being around here for 12-13 years now, it's truly fantastic. That does not come easy, that's because of a lot of hard work behind the scenes, a lot of sacrifices that he has made throughout his career and he's willing to continue to make. That's something that is great for a coach, you can see a lot of young players will look at that and be inspired by that.”

Talking about Kohli’s conduct and perseverance over the years, Dravid said, “You don't have to say anything, just by the way you conduct yourself, the way you carry yourself, the way you go about practice and about your fitness, it's an inspiration to a lot of players coming through the system. Hopefully, they follow that and they are inspired like Virat to play so many games. Longevity comes with a lot of hard work, discipline, adaptability and he's shown all of that. Long may it continue."

The Indian coach eventually concluded by saying, “It's nice to see Virat's journey. When I was playing, he was a youngster coming through. And then I was not involved in the team as such, I watched it from the outside with a lot of admiration for what he's done and what he's continued to achieve. And now to get to know him a bit over the last 18 months [since taking over as coach], interact with him, get to know him personally as well, it's been good fun. I've really enjoyed it, I've learnt a lot from him. So in a lot of ways, I've really enjoyed it and hope he has as well."