An upbeat India should not get overconfident against Sri Lanka, says Kohli’s childhood coach

With the way the Indian Cricket Team have started their title defence in England and Wales, getting the better off, or rather humiliating Pakistan by 124 runs at the Edgbaston Cricket Stadium last Sunday, one can only expect the blue brigade brimming with confidence when they take on a relatively young Sri Lankan side in their second group encounter at The Oval later today.

However, as per Virat Kohli’s childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma, the team needn’t get overconfident because the game of cricket is very unpredictable and you can never really rule out a side. Sharma believes India need to be up for the task this time as well. The match will be a do or die encounter for the Islanders since they lost their tournament opener to South Africa, which is why they will leave no stone unturned to keep their hopes alive for a berth in the semi-finals.

“Sri Lanka are a very good side and can surprise any team. Therefore, India should not be complacent but should concentrate on playing good cricket. They have to remain focused and play good cricket,” Sharma told ANI.

Can’t write-off Sri Lanka 

He also reiterated the fact that going into the game, India are the clear favourites and they will not be under any sort of pressure. However, the Sri Lankan team, which has done very well in the previous ICC tournaments, cannot be written off.

“I don’t think there would be that much pressure on India during the Sri LAnka game but the Virat Kohli-led side cannot afford to be complacent. They should not be overconfident that they have achieved a comprehensive win over Pakistan, They cannot afford to take Sri Lanka lightly,” he added.

If India wins the game, they secure a position on the top 4 of the table. If they lose, the match against South Africa will be a must-win. And if Sri Lanka loses, their hopes of a semi-final berth will be defeated.