Former Australian captain Steve Waugh says India's new Test captain Virat Kohli is not ‘mature’ enough yet to fill in the shoes of recently retired skipper MS Dhoni.

Kohli took over as the captain of the Test side after Dhoni walked away from the five-day game during India's tour of Australia prior to the World Cup.

According to Waugh, Dhoni lead India into a new age of cricket and never let his emotions spill over, an attribute Kohli would to well to emulate.

“Kohli has to mature. He had a few issues this World Cup. He gets a bit too animated, bit too emotional, bit too personal on some issues,” Cricket Australia quoted Waugh as saying.

“As a captain you have got to develop a thick skin and Dhoni has that, nothing gets through him.

During the World Cup, India's batting mainstay Kohli was censured for his ugly outburst against a travelling Indian journalist in Perth and advised to maintain dignity by the country's cricket board.

Known equally for his silken touch with the bat and a penchant for run-ins with opposition players, Test captain Kohli swore at the journalist over a story about his personal life after a net session at the Murdoch Oval.

Waugh said Kohli only needed to look as far as Dhoni for inspiration.

“He would be a good role model for Kohli. He has to be his own man but also take a bit of what Dhoni has.

“Dhoni has never been bothered about what people say. The external things don't influence him. He just keeps it simple, goes about his job in the best that he can do on the field.”