Published 14:54 IST, December 5th 2019
Virat Kohli reveals Team India's new 'one stays till end' strategy
peaking at the pre-match press conference, Kohli spoke about how India had experimented with their playing XI and had come close to figuring out the best combo
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As India prepare to take on the West Indies in the shorter formats of the game starting from December 6, skipper Virat Kohli categorically said that the rankings were not a clear indicator of how the team performs. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Virat Kohli spoke about how Team India had experimented with their playing eleven and had come close to figuring out their best combination. With the preparations for the T20 World Cup already underway, Virat Kohli highlighted some important aspects on which the team was working in order to cover all bases and be well prepared for the showpiece tournament in Australia next year.
Kohli says rankings cannot determine the team's strength
Speaking at the press conference, Virat Kohli said that the team's position on the rankings cannot be used to judge the side's strength as it did not reflect if India played with their strongest eleven.
The Indian skipper said that the team had not played with their strongest eleven together for a long time, in both T20s and ODIs, and that the team was focussing on helping youngsters in the transition from domestic cricket to international cricket. Talking about how T20 was an uncertain game that cannot be pre-planned for, Virat Kohli reiterated the need for India to field their best side in the upcoming games and revealed that the team combination was growing stronger with each passing game. Skipper Kohli also revealed that he expects the team's performance to improve drastically and also spilled the beans on what the team was focussing on. Setting his eyes on making sure all bases are covered, Kohli said that the team was building on the ability to post low scores and defend them successfully as the Indian team always liked challenges.
'One batsman should stay for long'
Responding to a question asked if Sanju Samson would get an opportunity in the game on December 6, Virat Kohli refused to reveal details on the same and said that it was high time to stop focusing on particular batting spots in the team. Returning to the T20 side after taking a break in the Bangladesh series, Virat Kohli revealed that he has taken it upon himself to control the middle-order of the team in order to ensure smooth flow of runs through the innings. Once again, Kohli spoke about how the T20 format was an uncertain one and hence the number four or five slots in the team did not matter. Further, Kohli said that one player had to take the responsibility to bat till the end while the other team members could bat at strike rates of 170 and above.
14:21 IST, December 5th 2019