Birmingham, June 16: Pakistan’s ‘magnificent turnaround’ has impressed him but India captain Virat Kohli stated Friday that the side do not need to be very concerned ahead of the Champions Trophy final at the Oval, Sunday. India defeated Pakistan in their inaugural game of the tournament in the group stages.
Speaking about what is expected to be a high-voltage second clash, Kohli was nonchalant. “What we are going to try to do is repeat the similar sort of cricket that we have played so far, knowing the strengths and weaknesses they have. Obviously, we will have to plan a bit according to that, but I don’t know if there’s much that we need to change as a team,” Kohli asserted.
“I don’t think we need to look too far away from what we are doing as a group. We will focus on our skills and our abilities and believe in ourselves on that particular day, and we will give ourselves a good chance to go out there and do some special things for the team,” he added.
Asked if India made a statement to their bitter rivals with the nine-wicket triumph Thursday night over Bangladesh, the Indian skipper dismissed the suggestion.
“There are no statements in this game, honestly. You have to give your 100 per cent, do things perfectly because you have trained for that day and then hope that you win,” he pointed out.
In spite of India putting up a scintillating show in the last two games, Kohli stated that no one can predict the outcome of any game. “No one is a winner beforehand, and you can’t predict anything in this game. We have seen some really surprising results, and it’s been amazing for the fans to watch and for the players to be a part of, as well. We just want to enjoy the final and we deserve to be there,” the skipper said with calm confidence in his tone. PTI
