Mumbai: India skipper Virat Kohli stated here Wednesday that the best way to defend the Champions Trophy (CT) title will be to play with a relaxed frame of mind and not to let the ‘pressure’ burden affect them. Kohli was a member of the side which won the title in 2015.
“I think the first challenge is not to think that we are defending the title,” the 28-year-old told reporters ahead of the team’s departure for Britain for the tournament starting June 1.
“When we went there last time, we just wanted to enjoy ourselves as a young unit and we ended up winning the tournament and creating a team which have done so well so far. We have done well in Tests so far and we would like to take it across all formats,” he added.
Kohli, however, was quick to assert that CT is a tougher tournament in comparison to the World Cup. “This is the shorter format, so the competitiveness is higher,” Kohli said. “You have no margin for error, you have to be at your best from the start,” he added. India play their first game against Pakistan, June 4. The Indian skipper was also quick to add that he would certainly bank on the experiences of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh.
“They (Dhoni and Yuvraj) are so experienced that given the freedom to play their natural game in the middle-order, they know how to win games,” Kohli pointed out. “When two of your greatest players play freely, it gives a lot of confidence to players batting above them.”
‘Just another game’
Virat Kohli played down Wednesday the hype surrounding their upcoming marquee clash with arch rivals Pakistan in CT and said it is just another game for the players. “It’s about playing the game. Yes, India-Pakistan is always exciting for the fans. It’s different for them. For us, it is just a game of cricket. In our heads nothing really changes. It’s not the first time we are playing against them. Playing for India, you don’t need extra motivation,” said Kohli when he was asked whether the present tension-filled relations between the two countries would provide extra motivation to the Indian.
PTI
