Hanuma Vihari will play in his first Test on home soil when India take on South Africa in the opening game of the three-match series in Vishakapatnam.
After the series in the Caribbean, skipper Kohli heaped praise on Vihari saying the dressing room is a relaxed place when the 25-year old is in the middle.
Indian batsman Hanuma Vihari put out impressive performances in the two-match Test series against West Indies, and is now eyeing a place in the ODI side.
Hanuma Vihari emerged as the top run-getter with 291 runs in India's 2-0 series win over the West Indies and vindicated the team management's decision to have him instead of the more stylish Rohit Sharma in the playing XI.
Vihari emerged as India's top run-getter against the West Indies in the two-match Test series with 289 runs.
Out of the six games in his Test career, Hanuma Vihari has not played a single match for India at home.
Bowlers did the job yet again for India as the visitors beat West Indies by 257 runs to win the two-match series 2-0.
Hanuma Vihari was undoubtedly India's find of the West Indies Test series as he emerged as the top run-getter with 289 runs that included a century and two half-centuries.
Chasing a near-impossible target of 468, West Indies batting once again failed to show stomach for a good fight as they caved in for 210 in 59.5 overs, well inside the fourth day.
Hanuma Vihari etched his name in the history books after his second-innings fifty against West Indies on Sunday.
India need 8 wickets to win with two days remaining while West Indies need 423 runs to save the series.
Ajinkya Rahane and Hanuma Vihari struck fifties to set West Indies an improbable target of 468 to win the match before Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami picked up 2 wickets to peg the hosts further.
Hanuma Vihari said that he was not able to sleep too well after Day 1 and was looking to be patient in the first session on Saturday.
Jasprit Bumrah and Hanuma Vihari starred for India on day two of the second Test against West Indies.
Jasprit Bumrah (6/16) on Saturday produced a lethal opening spell as West Indies ended day two on 87/7 after Hanuma Vihari scored his maiden Test century.
Earlier, Vihari missed his well deserved century in the second innings of the first Test but in Jamaica, the 25-year-old didn't make any mistake and breach the triple-digit mark.
Hanuma Vihari and Rishabh Pant struck an unbeaten partnership of 62 runs for the sixth wicket as India finished day one of the 2nd Test on 264/5 in Jamaica.
Hanuma Vihari was picked ahead of Rohit Sharma as the sixth batsman in the first Test against West Indies and scored a composed 93 in the second innings.
Hanuma Vihari was preferred over Rohit Sharma, while Ravichandran Ashwin also sat out as Ravindra Jadeja played in the 1st Test, and Indian captain Virat Kohli explained the rationale behind the decisions.
Hanuma Vihari, who scored 93 in the second innings to take India's score past the 300-run mark, insisted that he has work to do to improve his bowling.
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