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ICC Champions Trophy 2017: Challenge is not to think that you are defending the title, says Virat Kohli

In a press conference before leaving for England, Virat Kohli said that the Men in Blue wanted to enjoy themselves

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India have never defended their title at the world stage. Be it in 1987 Reliance World Cup, the 2015 ICC World Cup or the 2009 ICC World T20. The Indian team could not repeat their triumphant performances in each of the previous editions of the above mentioned events.

Now, as winners of the 2013 Champions Trophy, Virat Kohli faces the challenge of defending the title. Turning up in the new team kit, Kohli was relaxed and confident. There was no signs of the fact that he had a moderate IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore but his team finished last in the table.

Kohli, along with the entire Indian team, was given a special screening of Sachin Tendulkar’s movie that will be released on Friday. A possible chat with the legendary cricketer should act as another spark in Kohli and Co’s attempt to defend the title.

However, Kohli was guarded. Asked what challenges he faced as defending champions, Kohli said here on Wednesday hours before the team’s departure for England: “I think the first challenge is not to think about the fact that we are defending the title. When we went there the last time (2013), we just wanted to enjoy ourselves as a young unit. We ended up winning the tournament and ended up creating a team which has done so well so far.

“From that team as well, there have been a few changes. Right now, our mind set is very similar – to go out there and enjoy our cricket which we have done in the past few years. In Test cricket, we have been able to reach the top with that mind set, having the hunger to win. We have taken it across all formats.

“Ruthlessness is something we definitely speak about all the time. Even if we close series off, we want to win it without losing a game or drawing a game as well, if possible. We go in with that mind set and that goes a long way in a tournament like this. If we can think about our games in that manner, we get the results more often than not.”

The last time, India discovered a formidable opening partners in Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. It is the same combination at the top this time too. As the takeaways from 2013 Champions Trophy going into the current one, Kohli said: “From the last Champions Trophy, the revelation for us was the opening partnership of Rohit and Shikhar. The pair was great to see for fans and the team. It definitely played a part in the team going on to win. Ashwin and Jadeja were on top of their game. Even the fast bowlers bowled well. Even as a fielding side we were the best last time around. We identified these three things then and we would like to focus on these three things in England this time around as well. I felt these three were out strongest facts last time around in the CT.”

The last time Kohli toured England, for Test series in 2014, it was a disaster. He averaged only 13.40. But since then, he has grown as a premier batsman in the world today. He said he has nothing to prove when he returns to England this time.

“I feel you improve as a cricketer in every tournament that you play. The atmosphere around us is built like life and death, especially for cricketers from the sub-continent. We do well in India, there is no hype. When we don’t do well overseas, it’s like a knife hanging over your head. I would never play for redemption. The only motivation is to play well for your country. It does not matter where you play, the aim is to win matches. People might say it is a question of life and death or redemption but it’s not the case for me, it’s just like any other tournament.”

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