ICC CWC 2019: Virat Kohli unveils India’s ‘x-factor’ into the knock-outs

XtraTime Web Desk: Milestones continue to tumble as Rohit Sharma becomes the 1st man to hit 5 hundreds in a single World Cup while KL Rahul hit his maiden World Cup century as India defeated Sri Lanka by 7 wickets in their final league match of the 2019 Cricket World Cup at Leeds on Saturday.

After the match a jubilant Virat Kohli said, “We wanted to play good cricket. To be honest, we didn’t expect this kind of scoreline heading into the semis. But that’s what consistent performances and hard work get you. Really proud and happy of our team. Most amazing team to be a part of. It is really a honor to play for India.”

The Indian skipper also added, “More or less everything is set. But we don’t want to be one dimensional, I think the team that is more flexible on the day has more chances of executing what they want to. Obviously the dimensions and the pitches we play on will matter a lot, so we need a good balance in the side and whatever combination provides us the balance we will go ahead with that and really feel confident if we are batting first or bowling first we are covered with all dimensions. From that point of view we are happy with where we are placed.”

He seems focused ahead of the semi finals, as he said, “It is just about turning up on the semifinal day and putting up a performance.”

The Captain looks confident in saying, “The opposition has never mattered. We don’t focus on what the opposition brings to the table. If we don’t play well anyone can beat us and if we play well we can beat anyone. The focus has to be within and we are confident of our skill sets. We just want to go out there in the semifinal and express our skills and strengths as a team. So regardless of who we will play, we want to play good cricket and get the result our way.”

Kohli heaped praise on his best allrounder, as he said, “He (Hardik Pandya) has been outstanding especially after being under the pump in the first 3-4 games, but he has come back beautifully, so he’s really motivated and is thinking like a batsman. He has a gut feel as to what the batter might do, so he’s trying different things. Even when he goes out to bat you can see that intent, he’s just switched on from ball one. It is amazing to have a cricketer like that who can bring in so much to the table. Hopefully two more performances from him and till now it has been wonderful to see his performances and passion for the team.”