Chris Gayle is considered as one of the hardest hitting openers of the game and India's vice-captain Virat Kohli feels that it's difficult to emulate the West Indian because matching his exploits is almost impossible. "I understand that it's better to play to your own strengths rather than emulating someone like Chris because matching him is almost impossible. Only he can bat like that," Kohli said.

Kohli, who shares the dressing room with Gayle as a part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore, however admitted that batting with the him could be extremely intimidating. "The most difficult thing is to keep yourself safe," he said jokingly.

"On a serious note, batting with someone like Gayle can be very intimidating. When you see him batting like that at the other end, you might get bogged down with the pressure of coping with his strike-rate. It also works the other way around. You don't need to worry about the scoring rate because he's doing all the hitting at the other end. You only have to ensure the wickets are intact," Kohli told IPL's official website.

Kohli, who had also led the Banglaore in the last edition of the IPL in the absence of injured skipper Daniel Vettori, said leading the team was a fun experience. I was a bit nervous in the beginning. But once I took the field and started to think as a captain, I was fine. I was very well-supported by everyone in the team in terms of what I planned and what field I wanted to set. That made me pretty relaxed. It was a fun experience for me," he added.

Kohli said that he would like to imbibe a few qualities from each of his Bangalore' captains. "From Rahul Dravid, I'd want to learn being patient. He is very calm and patient under the most pressure-filled situations. If your side is losing, as a captain it's not easy to control your emotions. But Rahul does it so wonderfully well. I want Anil Kumble's competitiveness and the never-say-die attitude. He not only motivates his team but also sets an example for everyone to follow by putting in his 100 per cent effort in the field. Vettori's composure is tremendous. The way he backs his bowlers in crunch times is especially amazing. I'd like to learn that from him," explained Kohli.

The fifth edition of the IPL is scheduled to begin in Chennai from April 4.

PTI