Team India left for England to take part in the ICC Cricket World Cup. Addressing a press conference ahead of their departure, captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri spoke on a host of different issues, ranging from fatigue to team combination and to the impact of MS Dhoni.
For Kohli, the fatigue after the IPL season was no issue at all and he asserted that all the players were in a great headspace. The skipper conceded that his side draws a lot of their motivation from the Indian Army and the valour of the soldiers.
'No comparison with the Indian Army'
"You get motivation from a lot of sources, the point mentioned here is a very big one. I don't think there can be a bigger motivation than that. When you talk about the Indian Army, the role that they play for the country, there is no comparison with that," Kohli said at a press conference.
The skipper wants the side to go in the field with the feeling that they want to do something for the Army as this could act as a great boost for the entire unit when the action starts.
"If we go in with that motivation that we can do something for the Army, you will see a different level of passion coming out of us. But that also depends on a lot of other factors. Every individual has a different motivation while playing in the World Cup," the skipper further added.
Kohli also conceded that for him this World Cup would be the toughest and it was all because of the format. All the 10 participating teams will play a total of nine matches, against each of the other teams, and the top four from the points table will qualify for the semi-final. This format was last used by the ICC back in the 1992 World Cup.
"This will be the most challenging World Cup out of the three I have been part of because of the format. It's a different challenge, every team will have to adapt," Kohli said.
India starts its campaign against South Africa in Southampton on June 5. Over the years, they have played 75 matches in the World Cup, and have won 46 games whereas they have tasted defeat in 27 matches.
"If you look at the team and what we have done over the last 5 years, then you can see that we have been consistently playing well. We are not planning to play differently in the World Cup," said the skipper.
