MANCHESTER: Immune to frenzy around every India-Pakistan clash, captain Virat Kohli says staying focussed on the bigger goal was important since the tournament would not end with World Cup’s most awaited match on Sunday.
While he is aware of all the hoopla around the match, Kohli won’t let one World Cup contest dictate his thought process.
The Indian captain was asked, six to seven times, the same question about the external pressure, hype and how tough this match could be and he very eloquently warded off all the queries, giving away very little.
“The game starts at a certain time and finishes at a certain time. So this is not going to last a lifetime, if you do well or even if you don’t,” Kohli was at his pragmatic best during the pre-match interaction.
For the skipper, the bigger picture — winning the World Cup — is what matters the most.
“Whether we do well or not tomorrow, it’s not going to finish. The tournament still has to go on and focus has to be on larger picture. No one person takes more pressure than the others.
“Eleven guys share the responsibility. The weather is not in anyone’s hands. We have to see whatever amount of game we get, we need to be mentally ready to do whatever we need to,” the skipper said.
Being in constant limelight has made him very conscious about the electronic media looking for that ticker-grabber and the skipper wasn’t in a mood to relent. (AGENCIES)
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