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ICC Champions Trophy 2017: Dhoni, Yuvi are the strongest pillars of Team India, says Virat Kohli

The Indian cricket captain also spoke about the upcoming game against Pakistan.

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Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli called the two senior players in his team that will defend the Champions Trophy in England, former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and stylish left-hander Yuvraj Singh, as the “two strongest pillars” in the Indian team.

While some sections have been questioning their selection in the Indian team and instead youngsters should have been given a chance, Kohli said their presence in the dressing room changes the outlook of the Indian team.

Asked how he would use Dhoni and Yuvraj in the Champions Trophy, especially with their experience coming in handy in their first match against India and Pakistan, Kohli said: “The kind of players they are, I don’t think I can use them in any particular way. They have enough experience that if you give them freedom to play their game in the middle order, am sure, they know best how to build the match, how to win, how to come out from difficult situations."

“What we got to see in the last series (vs England), they played freely, they were enjoying batting with each other, and it was the first time they did it without the burden initially. It was good to see the great players play with a free mind. The players above them also get confident and I think, overall, it was good for the team. The team environment received a boost because when these two players play with good mind set, the team’s outlook is different. I will regard them as the two strongest pillars of the team. The good their mind set, the better for the team,” Kohli said here while interacting with the media before the Indian team’s departure to England for the ICC Champions Trophy.

No need to get emotional in Indo-Pak game

The India-Pakistan match in Birmingham on June 4 is the most-awaited game, especially when the frequency with which the two nations play have reduced drastically because of the political issues. Except for world events, the bilateral series between the two has been stopped.

The last time India and Pakistan met in an ODI was in the ICC 2015 World Cup in Adelaide on February 15, with India winning by 76 runs, and Kohli making 107.

On Wednesday, Kohli was asked if India and Pakistan should play at all, to which he reverted back to the journalist “what do you think? You have come with a pre-meditated opinion”.

But, Kohli answered in depth to another query that was about how differently his team looked at an India-Pakistan game compared with other matches.

“With all due respect, whatever else is going on as an issue, as a cricketer you cannot think what your partner is thinking, let alone thinking about what is happening which is out of our control,” the 28-year-old Kohli said.

“It’s about playing the game that we love. Yes, an Indo-Pak game is always exciting. For people watching in the stadium, the game is different. If you ask players from both sides, it is like any other game. We prepare for it like it’s any other game. The atmosphere around the ground is different.

“But in our heads, playing against any other team, be it England, Australia or South Africa, it is all the same. There is no need to talk anything different. There is no need to talk to anyone. It’s not the first time we are playing against them. There is no need to prepare differently for the game. We go about it the same way. There is no need to motivate players any differently. If you’re playing for India, there is no need for any separate motivation. There is no need to be extra motivated against one particular side. Yes, you need to be passionate, but there is no need to get emotional. You need to play with the same kind of passion regardless of who you play against.”

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