Not Looking At New Zealand ODI Series As Preparation For T20 World Cup: Virat Kohli

Team India under the tutelage of Virat Kohli have been outstanding since the start of the ongoing New Zealand tour. The visitors completed their first-ever whitewash in New Zealand in the shortest format and will be looking to continue their winning ways in the impending three-match ODI series.

The first match is scheduled to be played at Seddon Park in Hamilton on February 5.

Meanwhile, the Indian skipper Kohli said that they’re not really looking to use New Zealand ODIs as an opportunity to prepare for the T20I World Cup which is to be held this year in Australia.

IPL serves as the right platform for T20 World Cup preparation: Virat Kohli

Kohli believes that there is ample T20Is coming up for the team to try and test the perfect combinations in a bid to give the best shot at the showpiece event. He further added saying that the upcoming cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) will give the players a great opportunity to fine-tune their skills.

“We have had five T20s already, it’s not that we don’t have a lot of T20 cricket. We have IPL as well which is going to be a month and a half of T20 cricket. So we will probably utilise that, I think because last year (for ODI World Cup) you did not have much opportunity to prepare yourselves apart from the games that were in front of you,” said Indian captain Kohli on the eve of the first ODI.

The 31-year-old Kohli does not want his boys to thick too much about the shortest format when they are playing 50-over format as there is a subtle difference in both these formats.

Above all, Indian skipper Kohli wants his players to respect the ODI format.

“You have to respect the format, you have to play according to the pace of the 50-over game and as I spoke of the combination as well. It’s about guys getting settled in their roles and repeating that game after game so that they know I played this in this format, I have to play this in T20s or similarly in Test cricket.

“These things are all about creating good habits for different formats and then being able to switch between them. So no, we are not looking at this series as preparation for T20 World Cup. IPL is going to be the right platform for that,” Virat Kohli concluded.

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