India has a chance of winning Champions Trophy, feels Monty Panesar

Indian skipper Virat Kohli isn’t coming into the Champions Trophy riding on his usual purple form. In the recently concluded Indian Premier League, he scored just 308 runs in 10 matches. Averaging around 31 runs per match is not below par in the shortest format of the game. But for Kohli, it certainly is not up to the mark as he has set high standards for himself. But English spinner Monty Panesar feels that he can guide India to third ICC Champions League title.

India have previously won 2 Champions Trophy titles. One was under Sourav Ganguly (shared with Sri Lanka), the other one was under Mahendra Singh Dhoni. It will be Kohli’s first major ICC tournament as a captain, but Panesar believes that he will get going. Kohli is someone who loves to prove himself on the big stage and Champions Trophy is one such occasion.

On India’s chances

In his view, the Men in Blue are a formidable lineup and they can lift the trophy. “I think they (India) have got a chance of winning the tournament. Obviously, Virat Kohli did not have a great IPL so he’s going to be really hungry to perform in this big tournament. Kohli is a key player and he loves performing on the big stage. He’s been a match-winner for Team India and I am sure he’s very very hungry to score runs in England,” said Monty while speaking to India Today.

On India-Pakistan clash

India will begin their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on 4th June at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Pakistan have not found success in this elite tournament yet and are desperate to win it. Regarding the match, Panesar said, “India and Pakistan have great competition and that game is definitely going to light up the tournament. The atmosphere is always electric and England fans look forward to seeing sub-continent teams playing. There is a good population from the sub-continent. Obviously they support England but also India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.”

He said that the high-voltage encounter against Pakistan is the right time for Kohli to get things going. “I think he’s not going to put too much pressure on himself, he’ll probably do what he does best. He loves intensity, he loves competition and that gets the best out of him. Pakistan is the match to provide him that environment. Virat Kohli is the most complete batsman in world cricket at the moment,” said Panesar.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that they are looking for a new coach after the current coach Anil Kumble demanded a hike in salary. But Panesar bashed BCCI for their decision. He angrily commented “India’s form has been very good and Anil Kumble is unbelievable. He’s only been there for one year and they are going to appoint a new coach, I am like BCCI guys what are you thinking? Give Anil Kumble a two-year extension. He has been amazing in the last 12 months, give him automatic extension because he’s been brilliant.”

All-rounder Yuvraj Singh was diagnosed with cancer. But he won the tussle against the life-threatening disease and is donning the Indian jersey again. Panesar feels that Yuvi is an inspiration for everyone. He concluded by saying, “Seeing how Yuvraj made a comeback, he had an unfortunate cancer treatment but he didn’t lose hope. He played domestic tournaments, scored big runs and then he scored his highest-ever in ODIs. He’s obviously proven to everyone that he’s a real match-winner. He’s a motivation.”