Virat Kohli is a real inspiration to so many players: Rahul Dravid before batter's 500th international game

Virat Kohli is set to play his 500th international match when India take on West Indies in the second Test on Thursday and head coach Rahul Dravid has hailed the star batter as an “inspiration” for players within the team and cricket enthusiasts in the country. So far only three players, Sachin Tendulkar, Dravid and MS Dhoni, have played 500 international matches for India. “His (Kohli’s) numbers and his stats speak for themselves; it’s all there in the books. He is a real inspiration to so many players within this team, without a doubt, and to so many people, boys and girls back home in India,” Dravid said ahead of the Queen’s Park Oval Test. “It’s nice to see Virat’s journey. When I first played, he was a youngster coming through. I was not really involved with the team as such. I watched him from the outside with a lot of admiration for what he has done and what he continues to achieve.” IND vs WI 2nd Test: Focus on Jaiswal, Kishan and Rahane as visitors eye series sweep Talking about the secret of Kohli’s longevity, Dravid sighted the batter’s hard work that he puts in “behind the scenes”. “I didn’t know that this was his 500th game. For me, what has been great is to see the efforts and the work that he puts in behind the scenes when no one is watching. And that’s great for a coach because a lot of young players will look to that and get inspired.” “That has reflected in the fact that he has been able to play 500 games, is still going very strong, very fit, and the energy he brings to the game and being around for 12-13 years now, that’s truly fantastic. And it does not come easy. “You don’t have to say anything, but just the way you conduct yourself—the way you carry yourself, the way you go about practice (sessions), the way you go about your fitness—becomes an inspiration for a lot of other young players who are coming to the system.”