- Title: Kohli looks ahead to Champions Trophy
- Date: 24th May 2017
- Summary: MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA (MAY 24, 2017) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI - NO ACCESS ARD/BBC) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** INDIAN CRICKET CAPTAIN VIRAT KOHLI ABOUT TO ADDRESS A NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) INDIAN CRICKET CAPTAIN VIRAT KOHLI SAYING: "I think the first challenge is not to think about the fact that we are defending the title. When we went there the last time, we just wanted to enjoy ourselves as a young unit and then we ended up winning the tournament and we ended up creating a team which has done so well so far. But from that team as well there have been a few changes made, you know, from that team as well. So right now, I think, again, our mindset is very similar-to go out there and enjoy our cricket-which we have done in the past couple of years and in Test cricket, we have been able to reach the top with that mindset, you know, having the hunger to win and we want to take it across all formats and ruthlessness is something that we definitely speak about all the time." MOHALI, PUNJAB, INDIA (FILE - NOVEMBER 25, 2016) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI - NO ACCESS ARD/BBC) INDIAN FAST BOWLERS UMESH YADAV, BHUVANESHWAR KUMAR, KOHLI RUNNING WITH PLAYERS KOHLI WALKING WITH OTHER PLAYERS MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA (MAY 24, 2017) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI - NO ACCESS ARD/BBC) (SOUNDBITE) (English) INDIAN CRICKET CAPTAIN VIRAT KOHLI SAYING: "I think because the tournament is much shorter and you got the top eight teams in the world. I think the competitiveness of the tournament is much higher (right) from the word go. In a World Cup, you can still have your league games and you can have yourself to, you know, get into the World Cup and then dominate in the later half but in Champions Trophy you need to be on top of your game from game one. If you are not, then, your chances go down pretty soon." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) INDIAN CRICKET CAPTAIN VIRAT KOHLI SAYING: "If players don't do well in India and they go back, there is no real hype around it but if we do not do well away from India, you know, it's like a knife hanging on your necks. So, I don't believe in those things. I would never play for redemption. My only motivation is to keep winning games for my country and it doesn't matter the condition I am playing at." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) INDIAN CRICKET CAPTAIN, VIRAT KOHLI, SAYING: "They are so experienced that given the freedom to play their natural game in the middle order, I am sure, they know better than anyone else how to build an innings, how to take the team out from difficult positions and how to win matches. The good thing in the last series (against England), was that they batted freely and enjoyed each other's company like they used to do earlier-without any burden. It is good to see two of your greatest players play freely; it gives a lot of confidence to players batting above them." MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA (MAY 24, 2017) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI - NO ACCESS ARD/BBC) FORMER INDIAN CAPTAIN MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI (RIGHT) WALKING WITH CRICKETER SHIKHAR DHAWAN (LEFT) AND HIS WIFE AYESHA MUKHERJEE WALKING INDIAN CRICKETER AJIKIYA RAHANE SITTING INSIDE THE BUS/INDIAN BATTING COACH SANJAY BANGAR AND OTHER TEAM MEMBERS GETTING INTO THE BUS INDIAN CRICKETER RAVINDRA JADEJA WALKING INDIAN CRICKETERS YUVRAJ SINGH (LEFT) AND HARDIK PANDYA (RIGHT) WALKING
- Embargoed: 7th June 2017 16:10
- Keywords: Mahendra Singh Dhoni Champions Trophy England India cricket Virat Kohli
- Location: MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA/MOHALI, PUNJAB, INDIA
- Topics: Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA0016I792KF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL
==QUALITY AS INCOMING==
India's best chances of defending the Champions Trophy title next month will be if they do not burden themselves with the prospect, skipper Virat Kohli said on Wednesday (May 24).
Kohli made the comments ahead of the team's departure for Britain for the tournament starting on June 1.
The 28-year-old was part of the Indian team who trumped hosts England in the 2013 final at Edgbaston, and he said he recalled no creased foreheads in that victorious dressing room.
The same carefree attitude has been the hallmark of the Indian team who are currently the number one Test side, and Kohli saw no reason why it would not work in the one-day format.
Kohli demanded from his team the kind of "ruthlessness" evident when they won 10 of 13 tests on home soil last season.
India's batting mainstay also reminded his team that there would be little margin for error in the June 1-18 tournament featuring top eight one-day sides.
India preferred experience over youth when selecting the squad, which includes former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and limited-overs stalwart Yuvraj Singh.
Kohli predicted significant contributions from both the senior players.
The defending champions begin their Group B campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan in Birmingham on June 4. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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