Virat Kohli is the best batsman in the world: Ravi Shastri

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Centurion, February 17: India's head coach Ravi Shastri said the sheer impact of Virat Kohli's brilliance made him "world's best batsman" at the moment.

"Its not just about averages, it is the way you get runs, when you get it, and the impact those runs have on what the team does. I would simply say he is the best batsman in the world now," Shastri said at the post series media interaction on Friday.

Shastri was effusive in his praise for Kohli giving him all credit for the right kind of intensity that he has been able to bring in the unit.

"You spoke of intensity. Where does the intensity come from? When you have a leader like that, who leads by example, the other guys jolly well follow. Otherwise they know what to expect. That's the beauty about this team on this trip," said Shastri.

Shastri praised Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal for their good show as India now have more wicket-taking options in the middle overs, something the team lacked a couple of years earlier.

"Even in my last stint (as team director), Virat and I have always discussed that we need wickets in the middle overs. We've got to somehow be able to attack, find ways of breaking partnerships and not allowing the game to drift.

"So that was the idea, and then identifying the right kind of people to do the job. Luckily for us, Kuldeep and Chahal have complemented each other beautifully. They bring great variety. It's great for the viewer to see that kind of variety when they come to watch a cricket match," the coach said.

Shastri also rubbished theories that it was weak South African side that was on the park during the ODI series.

"One thing history tells me, I have been coming here since 1992, there is not one South African side in the world that anyone can say is a weak side. You just look at their bilateral record and they are one of the great sides in bilateral cricket.

"So I would like my boys to enjoy every bit of this series win. Whatever the score line is they must enjoy because it doesn't happen every day," Shastri said.