‘Probably the most challenging World Cup’ – Virat Kohli

Indian skipper Virat Kohli speaking to the media ahead of departing for England for the World Cup stressed on the importance of the team maintaining their intensity. Kohli also spoke on how handling the pressure would be the bigger challenge for the team compared to adapting to the conditions.

This will be Virat Kohli’s first time leading the country at the World Cup, with the pressure being high as India are among the favourites to win the trophy. But Kohli speaking in Mumbai, spoke freely on the obstacles a team must overcome if they are to win the ultimate prize.

Kohli believes this will be the most challenging World Cup for him personally, having participated in the 2011 and the 2015 editions. “Personally, I think this is probably the most challenging World Cup of all the three that I’ve been a part of, because of the format.”

Kohli also stressed on the fact that there was no room for complacency to creep inside the dressing room during the tournament. “Everyone has to be at their best intensity from the first match onward and we don’t have any room for complacency. That’s why it’s the World Cup, that’s why it’s the most important tournament in the world. We expect that kind of pressure from the first second. We’re not even going to let ourselves think that maybe the first week onward we’ll get into it.”

Kohli claimed that his team needed to take a page or two out of the books of how football clubs play throughout the season. “This is the challenge. If you look at all the top-class clubs in the world, like in football, they maintain their intensity for three-four months in the Premier League, or in the La Liga. So if we get on a roll and if we maintain consistency then we should be able to do it for the length of the tournament.”

Kohli also spoke on the conditions in England, saying coping with pressure would be a bigger challenge. “White-ball cricket, playing in England, playing an ICC tournament – the conditions are not that different or that difficult I would say, compared to Test cricket. Pressure is the most important thing in the World Cup, and not necessarily the conditions.”

India will begin their World Cup campaign against South Africa on June 5 at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. To prepare for the tournament, they will also play a couple of warm-up matches against New Zealand and Bangladesh.