India will neither be worried nor complacent when facing an unpredictable Pakistan side in the final of the Champions Trophy, feels Virat Kohli.
“Some teams start tournaments very confidently and then they fade off. Some teams might not have the best starts, but they come back amazingly, which Pakistan has done,” he said at the Oval on Saturday.
“So 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. But at the same time, we’re neither intimidated by them nor are we arrogant about what we are doing. I don’t think the first game (against Pakistan in Birmingham) will have any relevance here.”
India had changed none of its routines or methods ahead of the game, Kohli stated.
“We never spoke of the semifinal in any different way. We haven’t spoken about this game in any different way,” he said.
“We’ve practised 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.
No overexcitement
“There’s no overexcitement. People are just doing the normal things that they do. It’s just another game of cricket tomorrow, and whatever the result, we have to go forward and play more games after that. The more relaxed you stay in these kind of situations, the better.”
What had he learnt leading India for the first time in a global tournament, Kohli was asked.
“The biggest thing is to stay off social media,” he said, to much laughter.
“It sounds funny, but it’s so important to stay away from those things, to connect to things that matter, connect to yourself within.
“It’s tough, but you have to make that sort of effort to stay in a good zone and a good mindset, to be happy playing second fiddle in a big tournament like this in all the games, and to bounce back after a setback. I’ve learned a lot how to handle certain things. And that can only happen when you’re able to connect with yourself first.”
