June 17, 2017
LONDON: Indian captain Virat Kohli has praised the remarkable comeback of Pakistan cricket team in ICC Champions Trophy ahead of the final between the traditional rivals on Sunday.
Talking to media on Saturday, Kohli said that he is aware of Pakistan’s talent and believe that Pakistan can beat any side of the world on its day.
“Everyone is aware of the kind of talent they have in their team, and on their day they can beat any side in the world. That's the kind of players they have, and that's the kind of ability they have in their side. So we're quite aware of that,” Kohli said.
“I'm sure it's going to be a very good -- very well-contested match. Both teams obviously want to win the final. They've worked really hard to be there, to stand in the final, and I'm sure that every player is going to come out and give their 120 per cent, and if 11 players from both sides end up doing that, it's going to be an exciting encounter,” he added.
Kohli added that his team is neither too intimidated nor too arrogant about what it is doing.
“It's important to maintain the balance of being confident in your own skill and what you are doing as a team,” he said.
The Indian captain that there would be hardly any changes in the squad but added that he would like to have Hardik Pandya in the playing XI against Pakistan in the final match.
“Not looking to change too many things, because I've said this before, I would back a guy like Hardik who provides you so much balance in conditions that he can be effective as a bowler, and his batting is priceless,” he said.
Kohli said that his team is not taking any added pressure of the final as they don’t want their focus to be dictated by the magnitude of the occasion.
“We haven't spoken about this game in any different way. We've practiced the same way from the first day we came here. Even today's practice was absolutely similar. There wasn't any drop of intensity or something extra. There's no overexcitement. People are just doing the normal things that they do in any practice session, and that's the kind of approach we have maintained throughout the tournament,” he said.
