'I'll pray to the cricketing gods' - Logan van Beek's hilarious plan to dismiss Virat Kohli in ODI World Cup 2023 [CricTracker Exclusive]

The preparations are on in the Netherlands camp for the ODI World Cup 2023 as they’re sweating it out in the training camp in Bengaluru. The Scott Edwards-led side sealed their berth in the grandest stage of the cricketing world with an emphatic four-wicket win over Scotland in the Cricket World Cup Qualifiers 2023 in Zimbabwe. Having qualified for the mega event scheduled to begin in India from October 05, the Dutch face the herculean task of competing with top nine teams of the world for the coveted trophy.

One of the toughest oppositions that the Netherlands are going to lock horns with in the upcoming cricketing extravaganza are the hosts India. The Dutch will have to bring their ‘A game’ to the fore in order to edge past the Men-in-Blue, who’re also one of the favourites to win the tournament. The Asian giants boast one of the strongest batting lineups in the world consisting of stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

However, according to star Netherlands all-rounder Logan van Beek, the team is ready with their plan to get the prized scalp of Kohli when the two teams clash in Bengaluru on November 12. In an exclusive conversation with Crictracker, the 33-year-old revealed that he would need just five balls to get the star India batter out.

‘When I’m going to bowl to Virat Kohli, I’m going to bowl outswingers on my first two balls. After that, I’m going to bowl a slower ball, off-cutter slower ball, he’s going to hit me for a four. I’m going to walk back and pretend to be annoyed and will stop the game for about five minutes. I will get the captain to come up and we’re going to pretend to talk and I will point in a general direction pretending to say I’m gonna bowl that way. But I’m not gonna bowl that way so I’m fooling him,” said Logan in an exclusive chat with Crictracker during Netherlands’ jersey launch for World Cup 2023 on Monday, September 25 in Bengaluru.

The Dutch cricketer further said that after the first four balls, he would just pray to the cricketing gods to help him get Kohli’s wicket.

“Ball number four I will bowl a nice half volley and he will hit me four a four. The crowd will go wild, he puffs his chest up, and he thinks he’s the greatest of all time which he probably is. But now I’ve got him exactly where I want him. So, he’s confident, so I get to the top of my mark and it's the fifth ball, I only need five balls. I get to the mark and pray to the Gods, the cricketing gods and say ‘I will do anything for you in this moment but please let me get Virat Kohli out right now’. The next ball I come running in with my eyes closed and bowl and he’s out,” he added.

Watch the video here:

Scott Edwards also wary of the threat from Indian batting lineup

Apart from Logan, Netherlands skipper Scott Edwards was also wary of India’s batting prowess and acknowledged that the Rohit Sharma-led side will be a tough team to beat being the favourites of the tournament.

“I think we probably don’t mind. That’s our last game of the tournament so a lot can happen in that space of time. Obviously, India are probably going into this World Cup as the favourites and they’re going to be a very strong side and hard side to beat. So yeah can’t reveal our plans before that game,” said Edwards while replying to a query from Crictracker.

Notably, the Netherlands will start their World Cup campaign with a game against Pakistan on October 06 in Hyderabad. Before that, they will play a couple of warm-up fixtures against Australia (on September 30 in Thiruvananthapuram) and India on October 03.