Biggest challenge will be to not think we are the defending champions: Virat Kohli

Indian captain Virat Kohli addressed the media ahead of the side’s departure to England to defend their ICC Champions Trophy title they won four years ago in 2013. Kohli will be leading India for the first time in a big ICC event and said that the biggest challenge will be to not think too much about the tag of being the defending champions.

The Indian squad of 15 was picked after a considerable delay due to a disagreement between the ICC and the BCCI. The selectors went for an experienced squad who had proven themselves at the big stage earlier. Manish Pandey was picked in the side following decent showings in the IPL but because he picked an injury ahead of the tournament, he was replaced with Dinesh Karthik, who has been in outstanding form in List A cricket.

All of the selected members of the squad had a good run in the recently concluded IPL but Kohli dismissed that IPL and ODI cricket don’t have much in common but can be an indicator of the cricketers match fitness.

“I don’t think there is any similarity between T20 and ODI. I think IPL will help our players to stay match fit and ready for the big grind which is ahead of us” Kohli pointed out

Kohli, who was a part of the side who lifted the Trophy in 2013, said that it will be a challenge to not think that they are defending champions as it would add pressure: “Biggest challenge is to not think that we are the defending champions.”

Since taking over the captaincy from MS Dhoni, Kohli has led India outstandingly in Test and T20 cricket. Their ODI form in the past 18 months has been decent but not to the level of the other two formats. The Delhi boy stated that as a team, they want to do exceedingly well in all three formats.

 “Last time also we went there to enjoy and that is what we will look to do this time too. We have done well in Test cricket and T20s and we want to make that success constant in all three formats” Kohli said

Since the Champions Trophy has just two groups, the competition is stern. One blip can cost a team a spot in the semi-finals. Inis are placed in a tough group with Sri Lanka, South Africa and Pakistan the other three teams. Kohli acknowledged the fierce competition ahead and said that his side is up for the challenge.

“I think because the tournament is shorter and involves all the top teams, the Champions Trophy is far more competitive than other big tournament. It will grab a lot of eye balls. So we are up for the challenge” said the 28-year old.

Old horses Yuvraj and Dhoni showed their brilliance in the England series and Kohli thinks if they play with freedom, India’s morale goes up.

“If Dhoni and Yuvraj play with freedom then it boosts the morale of the team and that’s what was seen during the series against England” Kohli stated.

Talking about the title triumphs in 2013, Kohli said India had discovered a terrific opening combination of Dhawan and Rohit, who will again open the innings for India in this edition. Kohli also acknowledged the contributions of the spinners as well as the pacers.

“The last Champions Trophy helped us find the opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. The spinners did well but the performance of the pacers was also a big revelation. You need to play according to the situation and we need to get used to the conditions quickly as possible” said Kohli.

Kohli rubbished that he will play to prove a point as his side RCB struggled in the IPL this year. He said that he gives his best for whichever team he plays and will continue to do that.

“I will never play for redemption. I don’t know why things are built up as matters of life and death for sub-continental cricketers. I believe in giving my best for the team, wherever I might be playing and against whichever team” said the Indian skipper

Kohli, though, conceded that a poor season taught him a lot as a player as well as a leader. RCB finished last in the points table with just 3 wins in 14 games.

“After the kind of season we had, it teaches you a lot about the mindset that you need to have. I realised that you need to control the aggression with which you need to play. It taught me to play within my abilities so that I don’t burn out myself. I also learnt a lot as captain.”

The India-Pakistan clash at Edgbaston in Birmingham is again a very hugely anticipated game as tickets were sold out weeks before the encounter. Kohli played down that his side will treat this game as a special one even if the entire country is looking forward to an Indian win.

“As a cricketer, we can’t control things outside the stadium. It is a big match we understand but in our heads, there is no difference. The hype and atmosphere around the India-Pakistan match is beyond our control, but for u, it is the same as any other match.”

Team India will begin their title defense at Birmingham itself. Before that, they are scheduled to play 2 warm-up games against New Zealand and Bangladesh on Sunday and Tuesday to get acclimatized to the English conditions.