After being picked for the 2019 World Cup in the England squad, pacer Jofra Archer said he was eyeing the wicket of Virat Kohli as he was unable to dismiss him in the Indian Premier League.
Speaking on Sky Sports in the wake of his name in the final 15, Archer said he wanted to get Kohli’s wicket above all else-not least because his Rajasthan Royals teammate Shreyas Gopal had bagged the big one in their four IPL clashes to date before he could get him in his sights.
The Indian captain said he didn’t know Archer’s desire, but he was rich in bowler’s praise calling him the English squad’s ‘X-Factor. ‘
“Did he say that? I had no idea – that’s news to me. It’s news to Morgs as well,” Kohli said smilingly. “We don’t really focus on these things. We don’t really focus on whether an individual wants to get you out or whether you’re spoken of more or things like that. Our focus is on contributing to the team. I take a lot of pride in performing for the team and making impact performances in every game. If Jofra said that, it’s a big compliment. Because he himself is a world-class bowler.”
Kohli continued to describe Archer’s remarks during their Indian Premier League clashes. “The way he’s come about in the IPL the last couple of years I’ve seen him, there’s a good reason why he was fast-tracked into playing for England in a tournament like the World Cup,”
Kohli was asked his opinion on the India-Pakistan game, as is always the case in such tournaments. The Indian captain said that it’s just another cricket game.
“I think India-Pakistan is always an anticipated match. We keep saying again and again. If you ask the players, it’s very different from how the fans feel. Yes, we feel the anticipation and excitement when you enter the stadium. But as soon as you enter the field, it’s very professional. It’s just another game you need to win as a team. Yes, it brings pressure because the atmosphere in the stadium is very different. But as soon as you enter, it’s a game of cricket for all of us. We keep saying this again and again, but that’s the truth,” he said.
“In the World Cup, you see the first four or five games you’re going to play. You play accordingly as a side. I don’t think we single out any team, all ten teams are strong and they can beat anyone. That makes the tournament exciting. If we play good cricket, we’ll be in a good position. Every team will want to focus on their skills.”
