India captain, Virat Kohli, admitted that the first four games in the World Cup will be tough for his side, and the players should not take things easy.
“It’s going to be challenging but the good thing is, every game has a decent gap in between. From that point of view, I don’t think players will burnt out even if we have hectic games or intense games immediately, you will always have time to regroup,” Kohli said on Tuesday.
“The best thing is that we have four tough games straight up and that will set the tone nicely for us. Everyone has to be at their best and gain intensity from the first match onwards and you don’t have room for complacency. That’s why it’s the World Cup and that’s why it is the most important tournament in the world.”
In its first four games, India will take on South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan. And Kohli admitted that the team is ready for the pressure.
“We expect that kind of pressure from the first second of stepping on to the field. We are not going to think ‘may be the first week onwards, we will get into it.’ No. We have to arrive match ready, with absolutely 100 percent match intensity. Start from there and start building from there. This is the challenge,” Kohli said.
A football fan, Kohli also drew reference to the top international football teams, who maintain the intensity for nearly six long months.
“If you look at all top clubs in the world in football, they maintain their intensity for three-four months in a Premier League or in the La Liga. Why not? If we get on a roll and maintain our consistency, then we should be able to do it for the length of the tournament,” the captain maintained.
Comments
SHARE