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Internet Desk: India skipper Virat Kohli has warned his side not to take any team lightly before they face Sri Lanka in their second match of ICC Champions Trophy at the Oval on Thursday.
At the pre-match press conference, Kohli said in a high quality tournament like this any side can beat a top team, so they cannot become arrogant after their good show against Pakistan.
“I think we are playing good cricket. As a team we should not focus on negatives when people are saying negative things about you. When you are playing well we should not look back. We try to maintain the same kind of intensity and momentum regardless of how and against whom we are playing,” said Kohli.
“At the moment we are playing good cricket but that does not mean we will be arrogant as a team. We respect ever opposition the same way and We tend to play the same kind of cricket against everyone. In this sport anyone can upset anyone. We can’t take anyone lightly,” warned the Indian skipper.
Kohli also lauded Sri Lanka and said they are a very good side always shows their class in the ICC events and the Men in Blue will not take Angelo Mathews’s side lightly.
“Sri Lanka are amongst the top eight sides in the world and they have always done well in ICC tournaments. They have talented players in their ranks. This Sri Lankan team is in transition but they have players who can win them games,” said the Indian captain
Kohli also added that their fielding against arch-rivals Pakistan was not upto the mark and they will have to improve it in the forthcoming matches.
“At the start of the tournament — especially after the good start with the bat — you try and put extra in fielding and therefore you can misfield a few with excitement. There can be lapses as well, when team is seven or eight down. Complacency can come in. We have addressed those things as team that bat deep can give us a headache in those circumstances,” said Kohli.
With a victory against Sri Lanka, India can set their foot in the semis as a young lankan squad lost their opening game to Proteas by 96 runs.
Virat claimed that among his four pacers, Mohammed Shami is the only bowler who has the least match practice and as a result he was not included in the squad for the opening match.
Shami who suffered a shoulder injury was included in the squad after two years after he recovered from this injury.
The inform bowlers namely Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah have been the m ain priority of the skipper Kohli for the time being.
“Shami has not played 50-over cricket for a long time and I am glad he bowled really well in the practice games. But I felt the others – Umesh, Bhuvi and Bumrah – had much more match practice and had the performances to back that up,” Kohli said at the pre-match press conference on the eve of their clash against Sri Lanka.
Virat made it certain that Shami is a proven match winner and would be involved in the squad as a replacement if someone suffers injury.
“A bowler like Shami will always be in the scheme of things for us. He is the sort of guy who can win you games in any form of cricket. He is feeling his way back in and is certainly an asset.
“If, god forbid, something happens to someone, we have someone like Shami who’s ready to strike and has proven himself. That just shows our bench strength,” Kohli added.