Tim Southee believes Kohli's drought with bat would end in Champions Trophy

New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee has backed Indian skipper Virat Kohli to return into form after his dismal show with the bat this season of Indian Premier League.

Tim Southee, who has had limited opportunities in the playing eleven of Mumbai Indians due to the presence of McCleneghan, Malinga and Johnson, also stated that the other batsmen such as Rahane, Jadhav, and Dhoni would also shine in the tournament.

New Zealand officially announced that Amul as the principal sponsors for the Champions Trophy. As a result, Tim Southee, Colin De Grandhomme, and Trent Bout were present in the promotional event.

“I don’t think so. They (Indian batsmen) are all class players. There’s a reason why they are such good players and they don’t stay out of form for too long. I’m sure he’s working extremely hard with such a big tournament round the corner. I’m sure he will adjust to the conditions. There’s a reason why he is the best batsman in the world. He will step up as the Indian captain as well.” quoted Southee in the event.

When asked about the favorites in the tournament, Southee found it difficult to answer as he stated that all the eight teams have an equal opportunity to lift the trophy.

“It’s very hard to determine a favourite in the whole tournament where eight quality sides are involved. It’s a matter of who’s playing the better cricket. It will be a challenge to move from the Twenty20 to longer format, the guys here are exposed to some good cricket so the transition will be relatively easy.” added the Kiwi. He further professed that both groups have quality sides and it would be difficult to progress into the semi-finals.

“I don’t think any group is easy, that’s the beauty of Champions Trophy which is played among top eight teams in the world. There’s no easy game that makes Champions Trophy such a great tournament to be a part of. Any side can beat the other on a given day. It’s an exciting tournament.” said the 28-year-old Northern District bowler.

The Kiwis are placed in Group A featuring Australia, Bangladesh, and England. New Zealand faces their Trans-Tasman rivals Australia at Edgbaston on June 2.