Kolkata, Oct 22: The wait for India’s World Cup campaign to begin is almost over as India take on Pakistan on October 23 at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia.
With 100,000 people in attendance raring to go for India’s campaign opener against the arch-rivals, the atmosphere in the stadium will be electrifying, a platform most well suited for the likes of Virat Kohli.
In an exclusive interaction with Star Sports on Cricket Live, Kohli spoke on his understanding with captain Rohit Sharma as the two leaders of the Indian squad, his thoughts on India’s campaign opener against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and how it feels to bat with fiery batsmen like Suryakumar Yadav in the middle.
Speaking exclusively on Star Sports show ‘Cricket Live’, Kohli spoke on his rapport with the captain Rohit Sharma and how they work in unison to try and ‘End the Wait’ to get the World Cup back to India, he said “Our discussions are always on how do we win big tournaments and then, our planning and preparations are directed towards that. Ever since I have come back to the team, the atmosphere has been very good. Whenever there’s this healthy camaraderie within the group, then you look forward to doing anything you can for the team. So, our understanding and vision for the game has always been similar.”
“We always work towards covering all the loopholes no matter how small they are. We solidify such aspects and move ahead. It’s very free flowing and all pointed towards our main goal. Everyone’s relaxed and know they are confident and prepared. It’s just how to handle the pressure that matters. In these times, we try and lead the group for big matches and make an impact that will sort of relax the others. Once that momentum sets in, then everyone knows that you can ride that wave,” he said.
Kohli also spoke on how he approaches games of such high magnitude and the feeling of playing in front of 1 lakh supporters at the MCG, he said, “More than the game, I am looking forward to that moment (playing in front of 1 lakh supporters). The last time I experienced such a moment was at Eden Gardens where I think there were around 90,000 fans. It was a packed stadium. When I walked out, there were legends of the game like you know, Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis.”
“The atmosphere was electrifying, but I needed to focus because you can get pulled into that environment.’ The same was at Mohali in the World Cup. There’s a different atmosphere that’s built during World Cup matches. It’s a different feeling, and you can sense that build-up, you know there’s this nervousness in the area, anticipation and everyone’s buzzing. I love those moments. It’s actually these moments that are part of the whole experience. You play to actually live these moments,” he said.
Virat also commended Suryakumar Yadav’s batting and how comfortable it is to bat alongside someone who is so confident in their game, he said, “It’s a great space to be while batting out there
in the middle with SKY. He has a lot of fun in the middle because of his skills and ability. He just asks how the ball is coming from the wicket and then, within 2-3 balls, he gauges the wicket and then gets going.”
“During our partnerships, he says that that he will take his chances and just wants me to be there
with him. So, I play a different role when I’m out there with him, which I am enjoying because it
works beautifully well for the team,” he added.
