Looking forward to travel and play difficult cricket - Virat Kohli

Indian skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri were all pumped up before heading to Ireland and the United Kingdom tour where India will play 2 T20s against Ireland and 3 T20s, 3 ODIs and 5 Tests against England.

Virat Kohli who missed out Afghanistan's Test due to the neck injury was talking to the media in New Delhi on Friday, June 22 along with coach Shastri.



Kohli has been moved on from last England tour where he failed to make an impact and expecting from people to get over of it.

"I think a lot of people have held on to the last tour for too long. We've had the Champions Trophy as well which has totally been forgotten - I don't think that was in Bangladesh. I was asked this question when we reached England (what are you looking forward to?), and I said taking a walk and having coffee on the street. My thinking is very different when I go on a tour, I literally am looking forward to enjoying the country, am not even thinking of the cricket. I know if I'm in a good zone, I will play well. If I think like how people are thinking on the outside, then things don't happen.

Virat is excited to get back on the field after missing Afghanistan Test and looking forward to playing abroad.



"This is just another series for me individually, but for us as a team, this is a very exciting time. After what happened in South Africa, we're actually looking forward to playing more difficult Test cricket. That I feel is the best thing that can happen.

"You don't want to go to England saying, 'Oh the Test series in one month'. We want it to actually be sooner. That's the kind of excitement we take along with us. It's the same case with the ODIs and the T20s. It's just a great phase for Indian cricket."

When it comes to fitness, no one can match Virat Kohli even though he missed out a Test due to injury he is one of the fittest players of this generation.



"I'm 100% ready to go. The neck is fine now. I have had six to seven sessions in Mumbai. I have had a good practice. I am absolutely ready to go. Went through a fitness test as well so the body is feeling fine. I'm actually excited to get back on the field which is a very rare thing when you play so much cricket but I think these sort of breaks really help and mentally they make you fresh and excited to go back on the pitch again," Kohli said.

"In hindsight, I feel what has happened is the best for me. I wanted (to experience) the more difficult phase of those conditions. I wanted the wet and damp conditions where Puji [Cheteshwar Pujara], Ishant and Varun played in. But in hindsight, if I was 90% with my body and used to the conditions rather than 110% and fresh, I'd much rather be where I am today."

Coach Ravi Shastri also believes that fitness enhanced your ability to do well and play good cricket. He was talking about benefits of Yo-Yo test which has become mandatory for selection in the team.

"You have a certain ability, but if you're fit then that same ability gets enhanced. And that's why we emphasise on this yo-yo thing. And whoever thinks it's a one-off, he's sadly mistaken. He can take a walk. The philosophy is simple. You pass, you play. You fail, you sit. The captain leads from the front, the selectors are on the same page, the entire team management is on the same page and the boys have responded extremely well."

Virat said this time its ideal condition for us as we will get enough time before playing 5-match Test series, unlike last time where India play Test cricket before limited overs series.

"Preparation, it's ideal. You get to play ODIs, then T20s and by the time the Test starts, it's already a month. There's a lot of time to acclimatise. The plan is the same as that was in South Africa, against Sri Lanka, and what was there before. The strategy doesn't change. Mindset doesn't change if we don't perform in one series or another. Our focus is on cricket. We don't have to do anything different. We have to play with a match-winning mindset. It's not about individual players, it's about the team."

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