Virat Kohli’s exploits as a batsman and captain have won him plenty of fans around the world in the last five years. However, there seems to be no bigger fan of him than the India head coach – Ravi Shastri.

Speaking to India Today during its programme Inspiration, Shastri termed Kohli as the 'ultimate statesman' of the sport at the moment.

"There's no cricketer in the world who comes close to him when you put the three together (Virat Kohli as a batsman, captain, and ambassador). He is the ultimate statesman at the moment. He is a great ambassador for the sport.

"When you go and ask the kids around the world who would they like to watch, the majority of them will say Virat Kohli. If I were a kid, I would want to watch him. He plays within the rules, he plays it hard and tough. He is in your face. He is the quintessential professional when it comes to work ethics. He is a role model for every young kid - not to mention the players who play with him," he said.

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When it comes to batting across all formats, Virat is no less than a monster. The Indian skipper has already aggregated 70 international hundreds and is the only batsman in the world to boast an average of above 50 in Tests, ODIs and T20Is.

When asked what motivates Kohli to keep performing so consistently at the top level, Shastri said: "He will carry on. He will only get better and better. He is not chasing anybody, he is chasing himself. He is the benchmark. He sets the benchmark. It happened with Tendulkar. When Sachin used to play, I used to tell him, 'you're the only guy who has got more hundreds that your age'. Not easy!

"Same with Virat. He is only chasing himself. He doesn't want to emulate anyone. 'Be Virat Kohli'. That's what we will tell him. We should all enjoy this period with him at the helm," he concluded.