Ahead of the first Test against West Indies in Antigua, India skipper Virat Kohli was seen playing a different role altogether. Kohli turned into an interviewer as he chatted with Sir Vivian Richards, the Caribbean icon with whom he is often compared to for his ruthless batting style.

Both the great batsmen shared their views on a range of topics including the hostile fast bowling – a subject that is making the headlines after Australia’s Steve Smith got hit by a nasty Jofra Archer bouncer during the second Ashes Test at Lord’s last week.

"I always feel it's better to get hit early on and know the feeling rather than always feeling you might get hit. I prefer getting early on and hard, it motivates me to not allow that to happen again," Kohli said while speaking to Richards for BCCI’s official website.

"Just that pain to go through your body and be like 'Ok enough it's not happening again'," he added.

Giving his two cents on the same matter, the West Indies batting giant said: "It's all part of the game. It depends on how well you come back from these knocks. Before we had little guards around your ribs, you would take a hit and that's where you would feel and take a count but that's all part and parcel of the sport."

The Indian captain also opened up about his admiration for Richards, who was named one of Wisden's five Cricketers of the Century in 2000.

"...the greatest inspiration to all of us batsmen, Sir Vivian Richards," said Kohli as he asked Richards about his journey.

The Master Blaster then highlighted the similarity between him and Virat.  

"I always felt I was good enough to be competing. I wanted to express myself in the best way that I can, I see that little similarity, that passion. There are times when folks would look at us in different ways and say 'wow, why so angry'?" he quipped.

In what is the first segment of a two-part interaction, Kohli asked Richards why he avoided wearing helmet despite the quality of fast bowling in that era.

"I believed that I'm the man. It may sound arrogant but I always felt that I was involved in the game that I knew. I backed myself every time. You even back yourself to get hurt, to take the knocks," Viv replied.

"The helmet I tried felt a little uncomfortable. I felt the maroon cap given to me, I was so proud to have that. My mindset was that I'm good enough to be here, if I get hurt it's God's will, I will survive," he continued.

Watch the full video here:

(With PTI inputs)