Kohli feels his team stronger than 2013 group

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Dubai: Defending champions India arrived for the ICC Champions Trophy in London on Friday.

When reporters closed in around skipper Virat Kohli, as he came out for a coffee, he said: “I love walking by myself, not having people around at all.”

He then went on to say: “I love travelling away from home, and getting some normal time, which I’m not really able to do back home, because there’s so much attention on you all the time.”

However, he patiently answered to some queries, especially on how he feels captaining the Indian team for the first time in an ICC tournament.

“I am very excited to be playing as captain in my first major ICC competition. As far as the team goes, we won last time because our fast bowlers did very well, our spinners were strong and our opening batsman did well.”

Kohli believes that his team is stronger than one which won the title in 2013.

“This year the team is a lot fitter, the cricketers are a lot more mature because that was a very young group four years ago. It has gained a lot of experience in the last three or four years.”

Though India had beaten England in a ODI series at home, Kohli is not willing to take the hosts lightly. “I think England are a very, very balanced side ... one of the two best balanced sides in the world at the moment. They bat right down to 9 or 10, they are all explosive players, five or six guys can bat and bowl, and they are gun fielders as well,” he said.

Kohli then went on to explain why England could be a strong team. “We experienced that in India, they are pretty hard to get past, and that’s something that is going to be a challenge for every other team in the Champions Trophy as well. We always related to England as a very strong Test team, but in last two or three years post 2015 World Cup, they’ve really changed the way they play their cricket.”

Kohli then went on to praise how Eoin Morgan & Co have shaped their game. “All credit to them for shaping their short-format cricket so well, I’m sure they’ll be eager to go a long way in this tournament as well. I don’t think they’ve scored anything less than 330 now, which moves the game on pretty rapidly. It is indeed a challenge for all sides that play against them.”

Kohli felt that there is only one way to success against them. “England have two or three guys playing through the innings, but for them it’s all about attack, throughout the 50 overs which is exciting for the fans and challenging for the opposition. You have to be on top of your game to get past a team like that,” he said.

By K.R. Nayar Chief Cricket Writer